Manly Beach will be the place to be when some of the world's best surfers converge on the famous strip of sand to take part in the Australian Open of Surfing. The event will showcase some of the hottest surfers on the planet, include a major skateboarding competition, and have a stellar line-up of associated music, art and fashion events.
Manly is one of Australia's best-loved beaches and has been synonymous with surfing ever since 1915 when Hawaiian legend
Duke Kahanamoku demonstrated the new sport to locals at nearby Freshwater. Manly also holds the distinction of hosting Australia's first-ever surf contest: the inaugural World Surfing Championships were held at the beach in 1964. The Australian Open will mark the return of an international surf contest to the hallowed beach break and complements its sister event, the
US Open of Surfing which takes place at Huntington Beach in California.
The Australian Open will be headlined by a fully-sanctioned
ASP tour competition. In the men's event, big-name pros such as Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson will be ripping up the waves in the hope of snaring the $250 000 winner's purse. The women's contest will also feature big money payouts and will attract the world's best women wave riders.
The Australian Open will also incorporate a junior event, as the final contest of the ASP World Junior Title has been moved from its former home at Narrabeen to Manly to coincide with the new Australian Open. This contest offers fans a great chance to get a good look at the rising stars of the sport.
In addition to the surf contests, a number of side events will draw punters down to the beach. The Beach Bowl Skateboarding Competition will see some of the world's best skaters dazzle the audience with their skills on a custom-built skateboarding bowl. Created in 1999, the 'Beach Bowl' has been to England, Brazil and the USA, and will make its debut appearance in this country at the Australian Open. Spectators can catch all the action from elevated grandstands positioned around the bowl to see some awesome tricks.
The event will also include two concerts featuring a line-up of Australian bands. There will also be art exhibitions, fashion shows and plenty of food and drink available. And being sponsored by two of the world's largest surfwear manufacturers – Billabong and Hurley – there's probably a good chance there will be somewhere to buy new swimmers as well.
The Australian Open of Surfing begins on Saturday the 11th of February. The surf contests are largely dependant on the swell, so it's a good idea to check in with the
official website before heading over to Manly. The skateboarding events don't have that problem and will take place according to this
schedule.
