Surfest: Stephanie Gilmore a notable absentee as 27 CT surfers sign up for Merewether contests

Entries closed on Wednesday for Surfest’s 6000-point men’s and women’s World Surf League qualifying series contests, which will be held from February 19-25.

Two-time defending world champion Tyler Wright and dual Surfest winner Sally Fitzgibbons, Coco Ho and 2017 titleholder Johanne Defay had already been announced. Australians Keely Andrew, Bronte Macaulay and Nikki van Dijk, Hawaiians Malia Manuel and Tatiana Weston-Webb, Americans Caroline Marks and Sage Erickson, Brazilian veteran Silvana Lima and Kiwi Paige Hareb, who was runner-up last year, are the other CT entries. Former CT competitor Alana Blanchard, who became a first-time mum just last month, has been given the WSL wildcard into the event. Her partner, two-time world junior champion and Surfest 2015 runner-up Jack Freestone, will feature in the men’s competition.

Surfest had hoped as recently as last week to again have Gilmore in the event. Gilmore, the 2008 champion, bowed out in round five last year and was runner-up in 2016.

The Herald revealed last week that 14 men’s CT surfers had entered Surfest’s Burton Automotive Pro. The 27 CT stars were among 463 competitors from 25 countries entered into the six WSL events to be held at Merewether.

“I still get blown away by the number of competitors from around the globe that make the trek to Newcastle, and to have attracted 13 of the world’s very best men to the Burton Automotive Pro and 14 of the very best women surfers to the Grandstand Sports Clinic Women’s Pro is a big thumbs up for the event’s status,” Surfest chief Warren Smith said.

Central Coast surfers Matt Wilkinson, Adrian Buchan and Wade Carmichael, world No.6 Owen Wright, who made his comeback to competition from a brain injury last year at Surfest, and countryman Connor O’Leary are among the men’s CT entries. The others are Brazilians Willian Cardoso, Ian Gouveia, Jesse Mendes, Tomas Hermes and Michael Rodrigues, Hawaiians Kanoa Igarashi and Keanu Asing, Portugal’s Frederico Morais and American QS champion Griffin Colapinto.

Merewether’s Ryan Callinan, Jackson Baker and Philippa Anderson will lead the local charge and qualify for the main draws through their QS rankings.

The men’s event attracted 212 entries and the women’s 128. International trials featuring 64 men and 32 women will be held on February 17-18 for wildcards places to finalise the fields. 

Surfest will also include WSL contests the James Bros Longboard Classic and nib Pro Junior, both featuring men’s and women’s divisions, at Merewether.

The national final of the Australian Boardriders Battle, featuring Merewether Surfboard Club and a local wildcard winner, will be held at Newcastle beach on February 17-18.