Aussie Nichols into Bells Beach title decider
Isabella Nichols will get a second chance this month to go for a World Surf League title after taking down two-time champion Tyler Wright in the Rip Curl Pro semi-finals at Bells Beach.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Surfest champions crowned as epic week at Merewether beach comes to close
West Australian Jacob Willcox and Portugal's Francisca Veselko etched their names onto the storied Surfest honour roll in front of a packed Merewether beach on Sunday. Willcox defeated Olympic gold medallist Kauli Vaast (French Polynesia), who eliminated local hope Ryan Callinan in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, in a tight men's final while Veselko also broke through for her first win on the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS) by beating tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons is a three-time Surfest champion and was looking to become the first surfer in history to win the long-running event four times. The Gerroa 34-year-old led midway through the 35-minute final before Veselko followed up a 6.17-point effort with a 7.50-point ride to post a combined best-two-wave total of 14.60 out of a possible 20 points, which Fitzgibbons (12.20) was unable to overhaul. It was an emotional win for the 22-year-old Portuguese surfer and former world junior champion, who shed tears in the water before riding a victory wave with arms raised in the air to shore. "I'm honestly lost for words," Veselko, the first woman from Portugal to win at Surfest, said. "I'm just so happy to share this final with Sally, such a legend. I've always looked up to her ... she's such a warrior, a true inspiration and super resilient. She just fell of the tour and she's already fighting for the dream to be on the world tour again." Willcox, 28, set up his maiden CS victory with a 6.83-point opening wave before the ocean went flat for a large chunk of the final. Both surfers posted late waves but the Margaret River goofy-footer held on for a 12.30 points to 11.56 points win. "I've been waiting a long time for this," Willcox, from Margaret River, said. "A lot of losses have got me to this point, and it's so special. "I love Newy. It's bloody God's country. I stay with an amazing family here and have so much support. I'm kind of in disbelief, to be honest. I've dreamt of this moment so many times. "The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck. "That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked." After an epic day of barrel rides and pumping surf on Friday, sets, although good when they did come through, were at times few and far between on Sunday. Callinan was the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday and booked passage to the semi-finals with a commanding quarter-final victory over American Dimitri Poulos. The 33-year-old goofy-footer produced a solid 8.33-point ride midway through the semi-final but Vaast scored 9.10 out of a possible 10 points on the wave behind him to end up sealing a win. From there, the ocean went flat and Callinan (12.66) could not find another wave to overhaul the 23-year-old's winning score of 14.60. "I feel like I surfed it well and it was kind of a risk at that stage to even wait for the second one," Callinan said. "It's been on and off. The second one had been better sometimes and the first one had been better most of the day, so I don't know. To get an eight on a wave it's not a mistake, so I set up myself up with a good opportunity but it just didn't break again. "I made the most of my opportunities but sometimes it's out of your control." The Novocastrian and new dad, who missed the Championship Tour mid-season cut in Margaret River two weeks earlier, was mobbed by an excited group of grommets as he exited the water after his semi-final loss. "Coming into the week I didn't really have any expectations ... I was just excited to surf and try to put some heats together and surf a lot of heats if I could, but just try to get my performance back and be home and soak it all in, so I really felt like I did that," Callinan said. "Having the crowd and the support of the beach, even from the days it was pumping up the beach, I already felt like I'd won. "It's nice to see how much the community embrace their locals and you really feel loved coming from here in sport, especially in these events. "To see it on such a big stage like this and everyone show up, and even though I lost they're all still stoked to see me, is pretty cool." Surfest was the opening leg of the seven-event 2025-26 Challenger Series, from which the top-10 men and top-seven women will qualify for next year's top-tier Championship Tour. It was announced last Monday that the iconic Newcastle contest will also be the last stop of the Challenger Series next March. The next CS contest is in South Africa from June 30. West Australian Jacob Willcox and Portugal's Francisca Veselko etched their names onto the storied Surfest honour roll in front of a packed Merewether beach on Sunday. Willcox defeated Olympic gold medallist Kauli Vaast (French Polynesia), who eliminated local hope Ryan Callinan in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, in a tight men's final while Veselko also broke through for her first win on the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS) by beating tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons is a three-time Surfest champion and was looking to become the first surfer in history to win the long-running event four times. The Gerroa 34-year-old led midway through the 35-minute final before Veselko followed up a 6.17-point effort with a 7.50-point ride to post a combined best-two-wave total of 14.60 out of a possible 20 points, which Fitzgibbons (12.20) was unable to overhaul. It was an emotional win for the 22-year-old Portuguese surfer and former world junior champion, who shed tears in the water before riding a victory wave with arms raised in the air to shore. "I'm honestly lost for words," Veselko, the first woman from Portugal to win at Surfest, said. "I'm just so happy to share this final with Sally, such a legend. I've always looked up to her ... she's such a warrior, a true inspiration and super resilient. She just fell of the tour and she's already fighting for the dream to be on the world tour again." Willcox, 28, set up his maiden CS victory with a 6.83-point opening wave before the ocean went flat for a large chunk of the final. Both surfers posted late waves but the Margaret River goofy-footer held on for a 12.30 points to 11.56 points win. "I've been waiting a long time for this," Willcox, from Margaret River, said. "A lot of losses have got me to this point, and it's so special. "I love Newy. It's bloody God's country. I stay with an amazing family here and have so much support. I'm kind of in disbelief, to be honest. I've dreamt of this moment so many times. "The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck. "That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked." After an epic day of barrel rides and pumping surf on Friday, sets, although good when they did come through, were at times few and far between on Sunday. Callinan was the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday and booked passage to the semi-finals with a commanding quarter-final victory over American Dimitri Poulos. The 33-year-old goofy-footer produced a solid 8.33-point ride midway through the semi-final but Vaast scored 9.10 out of a possible 10 points on the wave behind him to end up sealing a win. From there, the ocean went flat and Callinan (12.66) could not find another wave to overhaul the 23-year-old's winning score of 14.60. "I feel like I surfed it well and it was kind of a risk at that stage to even wait for the second one," Callinan said. "It's been on and off. The second one had been better sometimes and the first one had been better most of the day, so I don't know. To get an eight on a wave it's not a mistake, so I set up myself up with a good opportunity but it just didn't break again. "I made the most of my opportunities but sometimes it's out of your control." The Novocastrian and new dad, who missed the Championship Tour mid-season cut in Margaret River two weeks earlier, was mobbed by an excited group of grommets as he exited the water after his semi-final loss. "Coming into the week I didn't really have any expectations ... I was just excited to surf and try to put some heats together and surf a lot of heats if I could, but just try to get my performance back and be home and soak it all in, so I really felt like I did that," Callinan said. "Having the crowd and the support of the beach, even from the days it was pumping up the beach, I already felt like I'd won. "It's nice to see how much the community embrace their locals and you really feel loved coming from here in sport, especially in these events. "To see it on such a big stage like this and everyone show up, and even though I lost they're all still stoked to see me, is pretty cool." Surfest was the opening leg of the seven-event 2025-26 Challenger Series, from which the top-10 men and top-seven women will qualify for next year's top-tier Championship Tour. It was announced last Monday that the iconic Newcastle contest will also be the last stop of the Challenger Series next March. The next CS contest is in South Africa from June 30. West Australian Jacob Willcox and Portugal's Francisca Veselko etched their names onto the storied Surfest honour roll in front of a packed Merewether beach on Sunday. Willcox defeated Olympic gold medallist Kauli Vaast (French Polynesia), who eliminated local hope Ryan Callinan in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, in a tight men's final while Veselko also broke through for her first win on the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS) by beating tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons is a three-time Surfest champion and was looking to become the first surfer in history to win the long-running event four times. The Gerroa 34-year-old led midway through the 35-minute final before Veselko followed up a 6.17-point effort with a 7.50-point ride to post a combined best-two-wave total of 14.60 out of a possible 20 points, which Fitzgibbons (12.20) was unable to overhaul. It was an emotional win for the 22-year-old Portuguese surfer and former world junior champion, who shed tears in the water before riding a victory wave with arms raised in the air to shore. "I'm honestly lost for words," Veselko, the first woman from Portugal to win at Surfest, said. "I'm just so happy to share this final with Sally, such a legend. I've always looked up to her ... she's such a warrior, a true inspiration and super resilient. She just fell of the tour and she's already fighting for the dream to be on the world tour again." Willcox, 28, set up his maiden CS victory with a 6.83-point opening wave before the ocean went flat for a large chunk of the final. Both surfers posted late waves but the Margaret River goofy-footer held on for a 12.30 points to 11.56 points win. "I've been waiting a long time for this," Willcox, from Margaret River, said. "A lot of losses have got me to this point, and it's so special. "I love Newy. It's bloody God's country. I stay with an amazing family here and have so much support. I'm kind of in disbelief, to be honest. I've dreamt of this moment so many times. "The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck. "That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked." After an epic day of barrel rides and pumping surf on Friday, sets, although good when they did come through, were at times few and far between on Sunday. Callinan was the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday and booked passage to the semi-finals with a commanding quarter-final victory over American Dimitri Poulos. The 33-year-old goofy-footer produced a solid 8.33-point ride midway through the semi-final but Vaast scored 9.10 out of a possible 10 points on the wave behind him to end up sealing a win. From there, the ocean went flat and Callinan (12.66) could not find another wave to overhaul the 23-year-old's winning score of 14.60. "I feel like I surfed it well and it was kind of a risk at that stage to even wait for the second one," Callinan said. "It's been on and off. The second one had been better sometimes and the first one had been better most of the day, so I don't know. To get an eight on a wave it's not a mistake, so I set up myself up with a good opportunity but it just didn't break again. "I made the most of my opportunities but sometimes it's out of your control." The Novocastrian and new dad, who missed the Championship Tour mid-season cut in Margaret River two weeks earlier, was mobbed by an excited group of grommets as he exited the water after his semi-final loss. "Coming into the week I didn't really have any expectations ... I was just excited to surf and try to put some heats together and surf a lot of heats if I could, but just try to get my performance back and be home and soak it all in, so I really felt like I did that," Callinan said. "Having the crowd and the support of the beach, even from the days it was pumping up the beach, I already felt like I'd won. "It's nice to see how much the community embrace their locals and you really feel loved coming from here in sport, especially in these events. "To see it on such a big stage like this and everyone show up, and even though I lost they're all still stoked to see me, is pretty cool." Surfest was the opening leg of the seven-event 2025-26 Challenger Series, from which the top-10 men and top-seven women will qualify for next year's top-tier Championship Tour. It was announced last Monday that the iconic Newcastle contest will also be the last stop of the Challenger Series next March. The next CS contest is in South Africa from June 30. West Australian Jacob Willcox and Portugal's Francisca Veselko etched their names onto the storied Surfest honour roll in front of a packed Merewether beach on Sunday. Willcox defeated Olympic gold medallist Kauli Vaast (French Polynesia), who eliminated local hope Ryan Callinan in the semi-finals earlier on Sunday, in a tight men's final while Veselko also broke through for her first win on the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS) by beating tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons. Fitzgibbons is a three-time Surfest champion and was looking to become the first surfer in history to win the long-running event four times. The Gerroa 34-year-old led midway through the 35-minute final before Veselko followed up a 6.17-point effort with a 7.50-point ride to post a combined best-two-wave total of 14.60 out of a possible 20 points, which Fitzgibbons (12.20) was unable to overhaul. It was an emotional win for the 22-year-old Portuguese surfer and former world junior champion, who shed tears in the water before riding a victory wave with arms raised in the air to shore. "I'm honestly lost for words," Veselko, the first woman from Portugal to win at Surfest, said. "I'm just so happy to share this final with Sally, such a legend. I've always looked up to her ... she's such a warrior, a true inspiration and super resilient. She just fell of the tour and she's already fighting for the dream to be on the world tour again." Willcox, 28, set up his maiden CS victory with a 6.83-point opening wave before the ocean went flat for a large chunk of the final. Both surfers posted late waves but the Margaret River goofy-footer held on for a 12.30 points to 11.56 points win. "I've been waiting a long time for this," Willcox, from Margaret River, said. "A lot of losses have got me to this point, and it's so special. "I love Newy. It's bloody God's country. I stay with an amazing family here and have so much support. I'm kind of in disbelief, to be honest. I've dreamt of this moment so many times. "The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck. "That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked." After an epic day of barrel rides and pumping surf on Friday, sets, although good when they did come through, were at times few and far between on Sunday. Callinan was the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday and booked passage to the semi-finals with a commanding quarter-final victory over American Dimitri Poulos. The 33-year-old goofy-footer produced a solid 8.33-point ride midway through the semi-final but Vaast scored 9.10 out of a possible 10 points on the wave behind him to end up sealing a win. From there, the ocean went flat and Callinan (12.66) could not find another wave to overhaul the 23-year-old's winning score of 14.60. "I feel like I surfed it well and it was kind of a risk at that stage to even wait for the second one," Callinan said. "It's been on and off. The second one had been better sometimes and the first one had been better most of the day, so I don't know. To get an eight on a wave it's not a mistake, so I set up myself up with a good opportunity but it just didn't break again. "I made the most of my opportunities but sometimes it's out of your control." The Novocastrian and new dad, who missed the Championship Tour mid-season cut in Margaret River two weeks earlier, was mobbed by an excited group of grommets as he exited the water after his semi-final loss. "Coming into the week I didn't really have any expectations ... I was just excited to surf and try to put some heats together and surf a lot of heats if I could, but just try to get my performance back and be home and soak it all in, so I really felt like I did that," Callinan said. "Having the crowd and the support of the beach, even from the days it was pumping up the beach, I already felt like I'd won. "It's nice to see how much the community embrace their locals and you really feel loved coming from here in sport, especially in these events. "To see it on such a big stage like this and everyone show up, and even though I lost they're all still stoked to see me, is pretty cool." Surfest was the opening leg of the seven-event 2025-26 Challenger Series, from which the top-10 men and top-seven women will qualify for next year's top-tier Championship Tour. It was announced last Monday that the iconic Newcastle contest will also be the last stop of the Challenger Series next March. The next CS contest is in South Africa from June 30.
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Merewether's Ryan Callinan into semi-finals on Surfest Sunday
Merewether's Ryan Callinan has stormed into the semi-finals of Surfest at Merewether beach on Sunday with a commanding quarter-final victory. Callinan, the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday, set up the win over American Dimitri Poulos with two quick, high-scoring waves.. The 33-year-old goofy-footer opened with an 8.17-point ride that included several impressive manoeuvres before backing it up with a 7.33. The Novocastrian won the quarter-final with a two-wave score of 15.50 points while Poulos (3.44) struggled to find a decent wave. Callinan will meet the winner of the quarter-final showdown between Tahiti's Kauli Vaast and Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. "I just got kind of lucky, in a way ... a couple of waves really lined up for me and an eight and seven to start off a heat is pretty magical," Callinan said after his quarter-final win. "There wasn't much at the back, but just to have that feeling and to be surfing at home in front of this incredible crowd is beautiful." Callinan is attempting to become just the second local male to win Surfest. Fellow Merewether surfer Jackson Baker achieved the feat in 2022. Merewether's Philippa Anderson, the 2009 women's champion, is the only local woman to win at Surfest. A large crowd is gathered at Merewether beach for the final day of the opening stop on the World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. "Walking down, just hearing everyone cheering, I nearly had a tear in my eye just feeling that, so I feel like I've already won the comp in that way," Callinan said. "It's so nice to have everyone down and around and supporting, and while the waves are cooking, it's nice to surf good waves as well." Morgan Cibilic, also from Merewether, bowed out in the round of 16. Three-time Surfest winner Sally Fitzgibbons, from Gerroa, has lined up a semi-final exchange with Portugal's Teresa Bonvolat after both won their two-person quarter-finals on Sunday morning. Francisco Veselko, also from Portugal, has also booked a semi-final appearance against 14-year-old Tahitian Tya Zebrowski. Semi-finals will follow the quarters with the championship finals set to start around 2.15pm. Surfest is the first stop on the 2025-26 World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. It will also be the last event with another contest set for Merewether beach next March. Upcoming men's quarter-finals: HEAT 1: Xavier Huxtable (AUS) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS); HEAT 2: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Winter Vincent (AUS); HEAT 3: Dimitri Poulos (USA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS), HEAT 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA). Merewether pair advance in epic Surfest conditions - June 6, 2025 Home-grown pair Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan lapped up pumping Merewether surf to progress to the last 16 Surfest men's competitors with a one-two finish in their heat on Friday. Surfers were met with clean, and at times barrelling, conditions and put on a show for the crowd of Novocastrians lining the promenade between Merewether and Dixon Park beaches. Cibilic quickly got to work in heat five, which also featured Callinan and Hawaiians Eli Hanneman and Imaikalani deVault, with high-scoring back-to-back waves. The 25-year-old opened with a 6.17-point power-packed ride, backed it up with a 6.83 then sealed progression when he tucked into a barrel to the delight of local spectators and earned a wave score of 7.30 with seven minutes remaining. He won the heat with a best two-wave score of 14.13 points. Callinan was second with 13.03, which included a heat-high 7.50-point ride, while deVault (8.77) and Hanneman (6.13) were eliminated. Cibilic brought strong form into the opening event of the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS). He was third at Bells Beach as a wildcard into the WSL top-tier Championship Tour (CT) contest and backed it up with fifth at the Gold Coast Pro as a replacement for Callinan, who sat out the CT event due to the birth of his daughter Penelope. "It felt good," Cibilic said of Friday's heat. "A couple of waves came towards me this heat, so I was stoked and just put it together on the waves. I felt like I didn't really oversurf them and it was enough." The 25-year-old was mobbed by local kids on the beach after his heat and was lapping up the home-town support. "It's epic," Cibilic said. "It's so different to every other event. You walk two metres along the footpath and somebody is saying, 'Hey' to you, so it's unbelievable, and you come in and the froth levels are so high. It's so special. "And, just to be able to compete here with good waves, it doesn't get much better than that." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, however, was a round-of-32 casualty on Friday morning. The 33-year-old surfing instructor could not buy a decent wave in her heat, which was won by teenage prodigy Eden Walla. The 15-year-old American had the crowd in raptures with an 8.83-point tube ride to set up her heat-five win. "I was actually dropping in and thinking about going around the section and then I thought my brother would be really mad at me, so I better just pull in," Walla said. Walla posted a best-two-wave score of 13.10. Portugal's Franscisca Veselko (10.67) was second , Spain's Nadia Erostarbe (10.27) third and Anderson (5.30), the 2009 Surfest women's winner, fourth. Three-time Surfest winner and veteran world tour campaigner Sally Fitzgibbons also progressed to the round of 16 with victory in heat one. Central Coast surfer Macy Callaghan, the event's 2022 champion, failed to progress in heat four. Former CT surfer Josh Kerr, 41 and from Tweed Heads, continued his good form by winning a tight heat two and advancing to the next round on Saturday. Merewether's Ryan Callinan has stormed into the semi-finals of Surfest at Merewether beach on Sunday with a commanding quarter-final victory. Callinan, the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday, set up the win over American Dimitri Poulos with two quick, high-scoring waves.. The 33-year-old goofy-footer opened with an 8.17-point ride that included several impressive manoeuvres before backing it up with a 7.33. The Novocastrian won the quarter-final with a two-wave score of 15.50 points while Poulos (3.44) struggled to find a decent wave. Callinan will meet the winner of the quarter-final showdown between Tahiti's Kauli Vaast and Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. "I just got kind of lucky, in a way ... a couple of waves really lined up for me and an eight and seven to start off a heat is pretty magical," Callinan said after his quarter-final win. "There wasn't much at the back, but just to have that feeling and to be surfing at home in front of this incredible crowd is beautiful." Callinan is attempting to become just the second local male to win Surfest. Fellow Merewether surfer Jackson Baker achieved the feat in 2022. Merewether's Philippa Anderson, the 2009 women's champion, is the only local woman to win at Surfest. A large crowd is gathered at Merewether beach for the final day of the opening stop on the World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. "Walking down, just hearing everyone cheering, I nearly had a tear in my eye just feeling that, so I feel like I've already won the comp in that way," Callinan said. "It's so nice to have everyone down and around and supporting, and while the waves are cooking, it's nice to surf good waves as well." Morgan Cibilic, also from Merewether, bowed out in the round of 16. Three-time Surfest winner Sally Fitzgibbons, from Gerroa, has lined up a semi-final exchange with Portugal's Teresa Bonvolat after both won their two-person quarter-finals on Sunday morning. Francisco Veselko, also from Portugal, has also booked a semi-final appearance against 14-year-old Tahitian Tya Zebrowski. Semi-finals will follow the quarters with the championship finals set to start around 2.15pm. Surfest is the first stop on the 2025-26 World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. It will also be the last event with another contest set for Merewether beach next March. Upcoming men's quarter-finals: HEAT 1: Xavier Huxtable (AUS) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS); HEAT 2: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Winter Vincent (AUS); HEAT 3: Dimitri Poulos (USA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS), HEAT 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA). Merewether pair advance in epic Surfest conditions - June 6, 2025 Home-grown pair Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan lapped up pumping Merewether surf to progress to the last 16 Surfest men's competitors with a one-two finish in their heat on Friday. Surfers were met with clean, and at times barrelling, conditions and put on a show for the crowd of Novocastrians lining the promenade between Merewether and Dixon Park beaches. Cibilic quickly got to work in heat five, which also featured Callinan and Hawaiians Eli Hanneman and Imaikalani deVault, with high-scoring back-to-back waves. The 25-year-old opened with a 6.17-point power-packed ride, backed it up with a 6.83 then sealed progression when he tucked into a barrel to the delight of local spectators and earned a wave score of 7.30 with seven minutes remaining. He won the heat with a best two-wave score of 14.13 points. Callinan was second with 13.03, which included a heat-high 7.50-point ride, while deVault (8.77) and Hanneman (6.13) were eliminated. Cibilic brought strong form into the opening event of the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS). He was third at Bells Beach as a wildcard into the WSL top-tier Championship Tour (CT) contest and backed it up with fifth at the Gold Coast Pro as a replacement for Callinan, who sat out the CT event due to the birth of his daughter Penelope. "It felt good," Cibilic said of Friday's heat. "A couple of waves came towards me this heat, so I was stoked and just put it together on the waves. I felt like I didn't really oversurf them and it was enough." The 25-year-old was mobbed by local kids on the beach after his heat and was lapping up the home-town support. "It's epic," Cibilic said. "It's so different to every other event. You walk two metres along the footpath and somebody is saying, 'Hey' to you, so it's unbelievable, and you come in and the froth levels are so high. It's so special. "And, just to be able to compete here with good waves, it doesn't get much better than that." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, however, was a round-of-32 casualty on Friday morning. The 33-year-old surfing instructor could not buy a decent wave in her heat, which was won by teenage prodigy Eden Walla. The 15-year-old American had the crowd in raptures with an 8.83-point tube ride to set up her heat-five win. "I was actually dropping in and thinking about going around the section and then I thought my brother would be really mad at me, so I better just pull in," Walla said. Walla posted a best-two-wave score of 13.10. Portugal's Franscisca Veselko (10.67) was second , Spain's Nadia Erostarbe (10.27) third and Anderson (5.30), the 2009 Surfest women's winner, fourth. Three-time Surfest winner and veteran world tour campaigner Sally Fitzgibbons also progressed to the round of 16 with victory in heat one. Central Coast surfer Macy Callaghan, the event's 2022 champion, failed to progress in heat four. Former CT surfer Josh Kerr, 41 and from Tweed Heads, continued his good form by winning a tight heat two and advancing to the next round on Saturday. Merewether's Ryan Callinan has stormed into the semi-finals of Surfest at Merewether beach on Sunday with a commanding quarter-final victory. Callinan, the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday, set up the win over American Dimitri Poulos with two quick, high-scoring waves.. The 33-year-old goofy-footer opened with an 8.17-point ride that included several impressive manoeuvres before backing it up with a 7.33. The Novocastrian won the quarter-final with a two-wave score of 15.50 points while Poulos (3.44) struggled to find a decent wave. Callinan will meet the winner of the quarter-final showdown between Tahiti's Kauli Vaast and Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. "I just got kind of lucky, in a way ... a couple of waves really lined up for me and an eight and seven to start off a heat is pretty magical," Callinan said after his quarter-final win. "There wasn't much at the back, but just to have that feeling and to be surfing at home in front of this incredible crowd is beautiful." Callinan is attempting to become just the second local male to win Surfest. Fellow Merewether surfer Jackson Baker achieved the feat in 2022. Merewether's Philippa Anderson, the 2009 women's champion, is the only local woman to win at Surfest. A large crowd is gathered at Merewether beach for the final day of the opening stop on the World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. "Walking down, just hearing everyone cheering, I nearly had a tear in my eye just feeling that, so I feel like I've already won the comp in that way," Callinan said. "It's so nice to have everyone down and around and supporting, and while the waves are cooking, it's nice to surf good waves as well." Morgan Cibilic, also from Merewether, bowed out in the round of 16. Three-time Surfest winner Sally Fitzgibbons, from Gerroa, has lined up a semi-final exchange with Portugal's Teresa Bonvolat after both won their two-person quarter-finals on Sunday morning. Francisco Veselko, also from Portugal, has also booked a semi-final appearance against 14-year-old Tahitian Tya Zebrowski. Semi-finals will follow the quarters with the championship finals set to start around 2.15pm. Surfest is the first stop on the 2025-26 World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. It will also be the last event with another contest set for Merewether beach next March. Upcoming men's quarter-finals: HEAT 1: Xavier Huxtable (AUS) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS); HEAT 2: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Winter Vincent (AUS); HEAT 3: Dimitri Poulos (USA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS), HEAT 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA). Merewether pair advance in epic Surfest conditions - June 6, 2025 Home-grown pair Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan lapped up pumping Merewether surf to progress to the last 16 Surfest men's competitors with a one-two finish in their heat on Friday. Surfers were met with clean, and at times barrelling, conditions and put on a show for the crowd of Novocastrians lining the promenade between Merewether and Dixon Park beaches. Cibilic quickly got to work in heat five, which also featured Callinan and Hawaiians Eli Hanneman and Imaikalani deVault, with high-scoring back-to-back waves. The 25-year-old opened with a 6.17-point power-packed ride, backed it up with a 6.83 then sealed progression when he tucked into a barrel to the delight of local spectators and earned a wave score of 7.30 with seven minutes remaining. He won the heat with a best two-wave score of 14.13 points. Callinan was second with 13.03, which included a heat-high 7.50-point ride, while deVault (8.77) and Hanneman (6.13) were eliminated. Cibilic brought strong form into the opening event of the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS). He was third at Bells Beach as a wildcard into the WSL top-tier Championship Tour (CT) contest and backed it up with fifth at the Gold Coast Pro as a replacement for Callinan, who sat out the CT event due to the birth of his daughter Penelope. "It felt good," Cibilic said of Friday's heat. "A couple of waves came towards me this heat, so I was stoked and just put it together on the waves. I felt like I didn't really oversurf them and it was enough." The 25-year-old was mobbed by local kids on the beach after his heat and was lapping up the home-town support. "It's epic," Cibilic said. "It's so different to every other event. You walk two metres along the footpath and somebody is saying, 'Hey' to you, so it's unbelievable, and you come in and the froth levels are so high. It's so special. "And, just to be able to compete here with good waves, it doesn't get much better than that." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, however, was a round-of-32 casualty on Friday morning. The 33-year-old surfing instructor could not buy a decent wave in her heat, which was won by teenage prodigy Eden Walla. The 15-year-old American had the crowd in raptures with an 8.83-point tube ride to set up her heat-five win. "I was actually dropping in and thinking about going around the section and then I thought my brother would be really mad at me, so I better just pull in," Walla said. Walla posted a best-two-wave score of 13.10. Portugal's Franscisca Veselko (10.67) was second , Spain's Nadia Erostarbe (10.27) third and Anderson (5.30), the 2009 Surfest women's winner, fourth. Three-time Surfest winner and veteran world tour campaigner Sally Fitzgibbons also progressed to the round of 16 with victory in heat one. Central Coast surfer Macy Callaghan, the event's 2022 champion, failed to progress in heat four. Former CT surfer Josh Kerr, 41 and from Tweed Heads, continued his good form by winning a tight heat two and advancing to the next round on Saturday. Merewether's Ryan Callinan has stormed into the semi-finals of Surfest at Merewether beach on Sunday with a commanding quarter-final victory. Callinan, the sole surviving local on Surfest Sunday, set up the win over American Dimitri Poulos with two quick, high-scoring waves.. The 33-year-old goofy-footer opened with an 8.17-point ride that included several impressive manoeuvres before backing it up with a 7.33. The Novocastrian won the quarter-final with a two-wave score of 15.50 points while Poulos (3.44) struggled to find a decent wave. Callinan will meet the winner of the quarter-final showdown between Tahiti's Kauli Vaast and Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. "I just got kind of lucky, in a way ... a couple of waves really lined up for me and an eight and seven to start off a heat is pretty magical," Callinan said after his quarter-final win. "There wasn't much at the back, but just to have that feeling and to be surfing at home in front of this incredible crowd is beautiful." Callinan is attempting to become just the second local male to win Surfest. Fellow Merewether surfer Jackson Baker achieved the feat in 2022. Merewether's Philippa Anderson, the 2009 women's champion, is the only local woman to win at Surfest. A large crowd is gathered at Merewether beach for the final day of the opening stop on the World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. "Walking down, just hearing everyone cheering, I nearly had a tear in my eye just feeling that, so I feel like I've already won the comp in that way," Callinan said. "It's so nice to have everyone down and around and supporting, and while the waves are cooking, it's nice to surf good waves as well." Morgan Cibilic, also from Merewether, bowed out in the round of 16. Three-time Surfest winner Sally Fitzgibbons, from Gerroa, has lined up a semi-final exchange with Portugal's Teresa Bonvolat after both won their two-person quarter-finals on Sunday morning. Francisco Veselko, also from Portugal, has also booked a semi-final appearance against 14-year-old Tahitian Tya Zebrowski. Semi-finals will follow the quarters with the championship finals set to start around 2.15pm. Surfest is the first stop on the 2025-26 World Surf League second-tier Challenger Series. It will also be the last event with another contest set for Merewether beach next March. Upcoming men's quarter-finals: HEAT 1: Xavier Huxtable (AUS) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS); HEAT 2: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Winter Vincent (AUS); HEAT 3: Dimitri Poulos (USA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS), HEAT 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA). Merewether pair advance in epic Surfest conditions - June 6, 2025 Home-grown pair Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan lapped up pumping Merewether surf to progress to the last 16 Surfest men's competitors with a one-two finish in their heat on Friday. Surfers were met with clean, and at times barrelling, conditions and put on a show for the crowd of Novocastrians lining the promenade between Merewether and Dixon Park beaches. Cibilic quickly got to work in heat five, which also featured Callinan and Hawaiians Eli Hanneman and Imaikalani deVault, with high-scoring back-to-back waves. The 25-year-old opened with a 6.17-point power-packed ride, backed it up with a 6.83 then sealed progression when he tucked into a barrel to the delight of local spectators and earned a wave score of 7.30 with seven minutes remaining. He won the heat with a best two-wave score of 14.13 points. Callinan was second with 13.03, which included a heat-high 7.50-point ride, while deVault (8.77) and Hanneman (6.13) were eliminated. Cibilic brought strong form into the opening event of the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series (CS). He was third at Bells Beach as a wildcard into the WSL top-tier Championship Tour (CT) contest and backed it up with fifth at the Gold Coast Pro as a replacement for Callinan, who sat out the CT event due to the birth of his daughter Penelope. "It felt good," Cibilic said of Friday's heat. "A couple of waves came towards me this heat, so I was stoked and just put it together on the waves. I felt like I didn't really oversurf them and it was enough." The 25-year-old was mobbed by local kids on the beach after his heat and was lapping up the home-town support. "It's epic," Cibilic said. "It's so different to every other event. You walk two metres along the footpath and somebody is saying, 'Hey' to you, so it's unbelievable, and you come in and the froth levels are so high. It's so special. "And, just to be able to compete here with good waves, it doesn't get much better than that." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, however, was a round-of-32 casualty on Friday morning. The 33-year-old surfing instructor could not buy a decent wave in her heat, which was won by teenage prodigy Eden Walla. The 15-year-old American had the crowd in raptures with an 8.83-point tube ride to set up her heat-five win. "I was actually dropping in and thinking about going around the section and then I thought my brother would be really mad at me, so I better just pull in," Walla said. Walla posted a best-two-wave score of 13.10. Portugal's Franscisca Veselko (10.67) was second , Spain's Nadia Erostarbe (10.27) third and Anderson (5.30), the 2009 Surfest women's winner, fourth. Three-time Surfest winner and veteran world tour campaigner Sally Fitzgibbons also progressed to the round of 16 with victory in heat one. Central Coast surfer Macy Callaghan, the event's 2022 champion, failed to progress in heat four. Former CT surfer Josh Kerr, 41 and from Tweed Heads, continued his good form by winning a tight heat two and advancing to the next round on Saturday.
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- The Advertiser
Everything you need to know about Surfest in 2025
Forty years after its inception, dreamed up as the uniquely Newcastle surf event that would help carry the city out of its industrial past, Surfest has returned in 2025, arguably bigger and better than ever after rising to the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series. "It's radically different," Andrew Stark, the WSL's Asia-Pacific president, said of the main contest's elevation from the third-tier Qualifying Series in November last year. With heightened status, the competition from June 2 to June 8 promises bigger names, better surf and more eyeballs on Newcastle's glorious coastline. Public transport is the best way to get to Surfest with buses running regularly to Merewether Beach, where most of the surf action is happening, the event has advised. The Newcastle light rail runs regularly from the Newcastle Interchange on Stewart Avenue to Newcastle Beach, connecting to regional train lines. Event goers using the light rail can connect with route 12 at Hunter Street at Florence Street - a short walk from Newcastle Interchange or connect with route 21 at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. The ferry operates between Stockton and Queens Wharf with services every 15 minutes during peak periods and 20 minutes throughout the day and weekends. Event goers can connect with the Route 21 service at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. Surfest events have been running since December, but the height of the action brings the show to a rollicking climax in Newcastle from Monday, June 2, to Sunday, June 8. Here is the full event schedule. If you cannot make it to the beach, the Surfest website will live stream events as they happen, including the June 1 to June 8 Challenger Series. You can watch the events here. Surfest 2025 is returning "home" to The Beach Hotel at Merewether from June 2 to 8. Not only is the hotel stepping up as an official event sponsor this year, it's also acting as a hub for Surfest entertainment and sponsoring Merewether's own Ryan Callinan, a world-class surfer and proud representative of the local Boardriders club and celebrating the rich surfing heritage of the region. The hotel is also hosting a string of Surfest events, including the Ain't That Swell live podcast with Vaughan Blakey and Jed Smith (June 1); the Go For Broke breakfast and panel with Morgan Cibilic, Andrew Stark, Mitchell Ross, Kate Wilcomes and Stace Galbraith (June 5); and the Surfest Closing Party with Tommy Trash (June 8). "We're stoked to partner with The Beach Hotel for this year's Burton Automotive Surfest Challenger Series," says World Surf League (WSL) Asia Pacific (APAC) president Andrew Stark. "It's an iconic venue with deep roots in the local surf scene - especially with the Merewether Boardriders and the local community. "With its epic location, great food, and surf history on the walls, it's the perfect spot for competitors and fans to kick back after a day in the water. We're pumped to see it all come to life." With Merewether being the original birthplace of Surfest, The Beach Hotel has long been woven into the fabric of Newcastle's surf culture. It's something owner Glenn Piper was adamant about preserving - and honouring - while renovating the building. "Surfing is in our veins here at The Beaches," he said. "Bringing Surfest back to its original home and supporting local legends like Ryan is about honouring our past while investing in the future of Newcastle's surf culture." Added Ryan: "The Beach Hotel has always been at the heart of Merewether's surf scene, whether it's boardriders swapping stories after a comp or locals celebrating a perfect run of swell. Having them back in the 2025 season is more than a sponsorship; it's a show of community strength and pride. Carrying the Beaches logo in the line-up reminds me I'm representing everyone who calls this place home." The 2025 Surfest will be the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series, drawing over 120 of the world's best surfers to Merewether Beach from June 2 to 8. It's the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, showcasing Newcastle's vibrant coastal community to a global audience. To see the full Surfest program at The Beach Hotel, visit In coordination with the event, Sanbah Surf Shop - a major supporter of Surfest - is coordinating surf classes with professional coaching staff from Newcastle Surfest Surf School. Instructors are accredited with Surfing Australia and operate as a licensed Surfing Australia surf school, teaching surf lessons to children and adults from Nobby's Beach, Newcastle. Bookings and details are available here. Forty years after its inception, dreamed up as the uniquely Newcastle surf event that would help carry the city out of its industrial past, Surfest has returned in 2025, arguably bigger and better than ever after rising to the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series. "It's radically different," Andrew Stark, the WSL's Asia-Pacific president, said of the main contest's elevation from the third-tier Qualifying Series in November last year. With heightened status, the competition from June 2 to June 8 promises bigger names, better surf and more eyeballs on Newcastle's glorious coastline. Public transport is the best way to get to Surfest with buses running regularly to Merewether Beach, where most of the surf action is happening, the event has advised. The Newcastle light rail runs regularly from the Newcastle Interchange on Stewart Avenue to Newcastle Beach, connecting to regional train lines. Event goers using the light rail can connect with route 12 at Hunter Street at Florence Street - a short walk from Newcastle Interchange or connect with route 21 at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. The ferry operates between Stockton and Queens Wharf with services every 15 minutes during peak periods and 20 minutes throughout the day and weekends. Event goers can connect with the Route 21 service at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. Surfest events have been running since December, but the height of the action brings the show to a rollicking climax in Newcastle from Monday, June 2, to Sunday, June 8. Here is the full event schedule. If you cannot make it to the beach, the Surfest website will live stream events as they happen, including the June 1 to June 8 Challenger Series. You can watch the events here. Surfest 2025 is returning "home" to The Beach Hotel at Merewether from June 2 to 8. Not only is the hotel stepping up as an official event sponsor this year, it's also acting as a hub for Surfest entertainment and sponsoring Merewether's own Ryan Callinan, a world-class surfer and proud representative of the local Boardriders club and celebrating the rich surfing heritage of the region. The hotel is also hosting a string of Surfest events, including the Ain't That Swell live podcast with Vaughan Blakey and Jed Smith (June 1); the Go For Broke breakfast and panel with Morgan Cibilic, Andrew Stark, Mitchell Ross, Kate Wilcomes and Stace Galbraith (June 5); and the Surfest Closing Party with Tommy Trash (June 8). "We're stoked to partner with The Beach Hotel for this year's Burton Automotive Surfest Challenger Series," says World Surf League (WSL) Asia Pacific (APAC) president Andrew Stark. "It's an iconic venue with deep roots in the local surf scene - especially with the Merewether Boardriders and the local community. "With its epic location, great food, and surf history on the walls, it's the perfect spot for competitors and fans to kick back after a day in the water. We're pumped to see it all come to life." With Merewether being the original birthplace of Surfest, The Beach Hotel has long been woven into the fabric of Newcastle's surf culture. It's something owner Glenn Piper was adamant about preserving - and honouring - while renovating the building. "Surfing is in our veins here at The Beaches," he said. "Bringing Surfest back to its original home and supporting local legends like Ryan is about honouring our past while investing in the future of Newcastle's surf culture." Added Ryan: "The Beach Hotel has always been at the heart of Merewether's surf scene, whether it's boardriders swapping stories after a comp or locals celebrating a perfect run of swell. Having them back in the 2025 season is more than a sponsorship; it's a show of community strength and pride. Carrying the Beaches logo in the line-up reminds me I'm representing everyone who calls this place home." The 2025 Surfest will be the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series, drawing over 120 of the world's best surfers to Merewether Beach from June 2 to 8. It's the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, showcasing Newcastle's vibrant coastal community to a global audience. To see the full Surfest program at The Beach Hotel, visit In coordination with the event, Sanbah Surf Shop - a major supporter of Surfest - is coordinating surf classes with professional coaching staff from Newcastle Surfest Surf School. Instructors are accredited with Surfing Australia and operate as a licensed Surfing Australia surf school, teaching surf lessons to children and adults from Nobby's Beach, Newcastle. Bookings and details are available here. Forty years after its inception, dreamed up as the uniquely Newcastle surf event that would help carry the city out of its industrial past, Surfest has returned in 2025, arguably bigger and better than ever after rising to the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series. "It's radically different," Andrew Stark, the WSL's Asia-Pacific president, said of the main contest's elevation from the third-tier Qualifying Series in November last year. With heightened status, the competition from June 2 to June 8 promises bigger names, better surf and more eyeballs on Newcastle's glorious coastline. Public transport is the best way to get to Surfest with buses running regularly to Merewether Beach, where most of the surf action is happening, the event has advised. The Newcastle light rail runs regularly from the Newcastle Interchange on Stewart Avenue to Newcastle Beach, connecting to regional train lines. Event goers using the light rail can connect with route 12 at Hunter Street at Florence Street - a short walk from Newcastle Interchange or connect with route 21 at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. The ferry operates between Stockton and Queens Wharf with services every 15 minutes during peak periods and 20 minutes throughout the day and weekends. Event goers can connect with the Route 21 service at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. Surfest events have been running since December, but the height of the action brings the show to a rollicking climax in Newcastle from Monday, June 2, to Sunday, June 8. Here is the full event schedule. If you cannot make it to the beach, the Surfest website will live stream events as they happen, including the June 1 to June 8 Challenger Series. You can watch the events here. Surfest 2025 is returning "home" to The Beach Hotel at Merewether from June 2 to 8. Not only is the hotel stepping up as an official event sponsor this year, it's also acting as a hub for Surfest entertainment and sponsoring Merewether's own Ryan Callinan, a world-class surfer and proud representative of the local Boardriders club and celebrating the rich surfing heritage of the region. The hotel is also hosting a string of Surfest events, including the Ain't That Swell live podcast with Vaughan Blakey and Jed Smith (June 1); the Go For Broke breakfast and panel with Morgan Cibilic, Andrew Stark, Mitchell Ross, Kate Wilcomes and Stace Galbraith (June 5); and the Surfest Closing Party with Tommy Trash (June 8). "We're stoked to partner with The Beach Hotel for this year's Burton Automotive Surfest Challenger Series," says World Surf League (WSL) Asia Pacific (APAC) president Andrew Stark. "It's an iconic venue with deep roots in the local surf scene - especially with the Merewether Boardriders and the local community. "With its epic location, great food, and surf history on the walls, it's the perfect spot for competitors and fans to kick back after a day in the water. We're pumped to see it all come to life." With Merewether being the original birthplace of Surfest, The Beach Hotel has long been woven into the fabric of Newcastle's surf culture. It's something owner Glenn Piper was adamant about preserving - and honouring - while renovating the building. "Surfing is in our veins here at The Beaches," he said. "Bringing Surfest back to its original home and supporting local legends like Ryan is about honouring our past while investing in the future of Newcastle's surf culture." Added Ryan: "The Beach Hotel has always been at the heart of Merewether's surf scene, whether it's boardriders swapping stories after a comp or locals celebrating a perfect run of swell. Having them back in the 2025 season is more than a sponsorship; it's a show of community strength and pride. Carrying the Beaches logo in the line-up reminds me I'm representing everyone who calls this place home." The 2025 Surfest will be the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series, drawing over 120 of the world's best surfers to Merewether Beach from June 2 to 8. It's the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, showcasing Newcastle's vibrant coastal community to a global audience. To see the full Surfest program at The Beach Hotel, visit In coordination with the event, Sanbah Surf Shop - a major supporter of Surfest - is coordinating surf classes with professional coaching staff from Newcastle Surfest Surf School. Instructors are accredited with Surfing Australia and operate as a licensed Surfing Australia surf school, teaching surf lessons to children and adults from Nobby's Beach, Newcastle. Bookings and details are available here. Forty years after its inception, dreamed up as the uniquely Newcastle surf event that would help carry the city out of its industrial past, Surfest has returned in 2025, arguably bigger and better than ever after rising to the World Surf League's second-tier Challenger Series. "It's radically different," Andrew Stark, the WSL's Asia-Pacific president, said of the main contest's elevation from the third-tier Qualifying Series in November last year. With heightened status, the competition from June 2 to June 8 promises bigger names, better surf and more eyeballs on Newcastle's glorious coastline. Public transport is the best way to get to Surfest with buses running regularly to Merewether Beach, where most of the surf action is happening, the event has advised. The Newcastle light rail runs regularly from the Newcastle Interchange on Stewart Avenue to Newcastle Beach, connecting to regional train lines. Event goers using the light rail can connect with route 12 at Hunter Street at Florence Street - a short walk from Newcastle Interchange or connect with route 21 at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. The ferry operates between Stockton and Queens Wharf with services every 15 minutes during peak periods and 20 minutes throughout the day and weekends. Event goers can connect with the Route 21 service at Customs House, Watt Street - a short walk from the Newcastle Beach stop. Surfest events have been running since December, but the height of the action brings the show to a rollicking climax in Newcastle from Monday, June 2, to Sunday, June 8. Here is the full event schedule. If you cannot make it to the beach, the Surfest website will live stream events as they happen, including the June 1 to June 8 Challenger Series. You can watch the events here. Surfest 2025 is returning "home" to The Beach Hotel at Merewether from June 2 to 8. Not only is the hotel stepping up as an official event sponsor this year, it's also acting as a hub for Surfest entertainment and sponsoring Merewether's own Ryan Callinan, a world-class surfer and proud representative of the local Boardriders club and celebrating the rich surfing heritage of the region. The hotel is also hosting a string of Surfest events, including the Ain't That Swell live podcast with Vaughan Blakey and Jed Smith (June 1); the Go For Broke breakfast and panel with Morgan Cibilic, Andrew Stark, Mitchell Ross, Kate Wilcomes and Stace Galbraith (June 5); and the Surfest Closing Party with Tommy Trash (June 8). "We're stoked to partner with The Beach Hotel for this year's Burton Automotive Surfest Challenger Series," says World Surf League (WSL) Asia Pacific (APAC) president Andrew Stark. "It's an iconic venue with deep roots in the local surf scene - especially with the Merewether Boardriders and the local community. "With its epic location, great food, and surf history on the walls, it's the perfect spot for competitors and fans to kick back after a day in the water. We're pumped to see it all come to life." With Merewether being the original birthplace of Surfest, The Beach Hotel has long been woven into the fabric of Newcastle's surf culture. It's something owner Glenn Piper was adamant about preserving - and honouring - while renovating the building. "Surfing is in our veins here at The Beaches," he said. "Bringing Surfest back to its original home and supporting local legends like Ryan is about honouring our past while investing in the future of Newcastle's surf culture." Added Ryan: "The Beach Hotel has always been at the heart of Merewether's surf scene, whether it's boardriders swapping stories after a comp or locals celebrating a perfect run of swell. Having them back in the 2025 season is more than a sponsorship; it's a show of community strength and pride. Carrying the Beaches logo in the line-up reminds me I'm representing everyone who calls this place home." The 2025 Surfest will be the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series, drawing over 120 of the world's best surfers to Merewether Beach from June 2 to 8. It's the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, showcasing Newcastle's vibrant coastal community to a global audience. To see the full Surfest program at The Beach Hotel, visit In coordination with the event, Sanbah Surf Shop - a major supporter of Surfest - is coordinating surf classes with professional coaching staff from Newcastle Surfest Surf School. Instructors are accredited with Surfing Australia and operate as a licensed Surfing Australia surf school, teaching surf lessons to children and adults from Nobby's Beach, Newcastle. Bookings and details are available here.
