Newcastle Beach will play host to some of Australia’s best surfers this weekend with the World Surf League QS 2000 Novotel Newcastle Beach Women’s Pro and Frame Promotional Products Men’s Pro kicking off a four-month long festival celebrating 40-years of Surfest.
The Qualifying Series contest is the first of nine events on the 2025/26 program, culminating with the final stop of the World Surf League’s Challenger Series at Merewether from March 9-15. The event also marks the tenth year that Newcastle businesses have crowdfunded an event as part of the annual Surfest festival.
Newcastle Surfest Event Director, Warren Smith, thanked the 30 plus businesses who each contributed to making the Novotel Newcastle Beach Women’s Pro and Frame Promotional Products Men’s Pro a success.
“We wouldn’t have been able to run the event without the unwavering support of the Newcastle business community,” Mr Smith said.
“This is the tenth year we have run a crowdfunded event. This year we have two businesses who have been with us since the beginning of the initiative as the naming rights partners.
“The strength of the field is a clear reflection of the draw power Newcastle has in attracting top surfers to compete in this region.
“To be able to return to Newcastle Beach almost 40-years to the date of the first event back in 1985 brings back some very special memories.
“Four decades ago, we saw Tom Curran and Wendy Botha take home the title at Newcastle Beach. Who will add their name this time around?
This weekend’s event has attracted a strong field of Australian athletes hoping to qualify for next year’s Challenger Series. The event is just one of three Qualifying Series events in Australia.
Ryan Callinan headlines a string of local hopes in the Frame Promotional Products Men’s Pro which also includes former Championship Tour surfer Julian Wilson, and Merewether local Jackson Baker. Brazillian Mateus Herdy also lines up at Newcastle Beach along with Jay Occhilupo, the son of two-time Surfest champion Mark Occhilupo.
In the Novotel Newcastle Beach Women’s Pro, Sarah Baum will be out to go one better than her last appearance at Newcastle Beach where she was edged out by Jahly Stokes in the Genesis Health + Fitness Women’s Pro in March, while Phillipa Anderson will also be out for a strong result as she seeks to requalify for the Challenger Series.
New Zealand’s Paige Hareb and Saffi Vette headline the international names in the Novotel Newcastle Beach Women’s Pro, while local East End Boardrider Natalie Fensom will be looking to stamp her authority on home soil.
The first heat is expected to hit the water at around 8am on Friday.
Newcastle Surfest is supported by the New South Wales Government via Destination NSW, alongside City of Newcastle, Cardiff GWM, and Reflections Holidays.
