The fourth and final leg of the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 will head to the golden shores of Avoca Beach in March.
Both the Men’s Vissla Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex and Women’s Sisstrevolution Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex will run simultaneously from March 13-18.
The elite four-event Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 is made up of two QS1000 events (Port Stephens and Maroubra) and two QS3000 events (Great Lakes and Central Coast).
The Central Coast event will be the last chance in the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series QS events for competitors nationwide to secure ranking points and position themselves in a safe spot on the leaderboard ahead of the Challenger Series set to commence internationally in May.
Competitors will have one final opportunity in NSW to gain QS points with the Newcastle Surfest, which is separate from the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023, scheduled for the end of March.
Surfing NSW CEO Luke Madden said the Central Coast Pro has produced a plethora of past, present and future talent.
“I am so excited that the Pro Surf Series is headed back to Avoca Beach in 2023,” he said.
“It’s one of the most iconic beaches in the region and the town itself is home to an entire underground world of talented surfers that live and breathe the lifestyle, as well as elite surfers such as Adrian Buchan, Wade Carmichael, Matt Wilkinson and Macy Callaghan who have gone on to do incredible things in the surfing community.”
Avoca Beach has become a breeding ground of passionate, stylish surfers, such as goofy-foot Adrian Buchan who has been part of the WSL Championship Tour for more than a decade.
Macy Callaghan, who grew up on the shores of Avoca, smashed her competitors in Surf Life Saving before dominating local, national and international surf events, cementing herself as one of the fiercest competitors on the current World Tour.
Managing Director at Vissla and Sisstrevolution John Mossop said he forward to watching the next generation of athletes battle it out at Avoca Beach heading into the Challenger Series.
“It’s an honour that Vissla and Sisstrevolution can play a massive part in supporting such an important event and stepping stone for the athletes,” he said.
The Vissla Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex will run over a six-day period, offering keen spectators and the local community ample opportunity to head down to the beach with their families and enjoy the fierce competition.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said it would be wonderful to see Avoca Beach and local Central Coast talent featured on the world stage once more.
“Having hundreds of competitors and spectators descend on Avoca Beach not only showcases our beautiful region to the world but injects significant tourism dollars into local businesses, accommodation providers, restaurants and retail,” he said.
Local athlete Lennox Chell, 20, exemplifies the raw talent and grit that Avoca Beach continues to breed.
After taking out his first major Pro Junior event at the end of 2022, Lennox qualified and recently competed in the ISA World Junior Championships in Seaside, San Diago California.
This event has hosted some the world’s best athletes including Joel Parkinson and Gabriel Medina.
Lennox is looking forward to competing on his home turf.
“There’s nothing better than competing in your backyard against your best mates from town and the country,” he said.
“I’m super excited to have my local boardriders crew supporting me and definitely have my eyes set on increasing my QS points.
“I’ve had a few awesome wins under my belt recently, so I want to keep the momentum going and see how far I can get throughout this series.
“I will definitely use my local knowledge to my advantage; I’ve surfed Avoca my entire life and feel like I could surf the waves with my eyes closed.”
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
The Vissla and Sisstrevolution Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex will also be available to watch via live webcast through worldsurfleague.com and the WSL App.
Source:
Media release, Jan 19
Surfing NSW