Australian Open of Surfing 2012 by Lachlan Munday

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THE PREMIER’S WELCOME

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The NSW Government through Destination NSW is proud to be a part of this exciting, new event for Sydney and NSW, the Australian Open of Surfing. This event brings the best of surf, skate and music to our city, embracing youth culture and promoting the unique energy of Sydney’s outdoor lifestyle. What better location than our iconic Manly Beach, the spiritual home of Australian surfing. Manly played host to the inaugural World Surfing Championship in 1964 and has a rich cultural history of more than a century of surfing. So we are delighted Manly was chosen as the Sydney home of this global event. The Liberals and Nationals Government is committed to pursuing and securing major events for Sydney

and NSW and what better event to help position Manly as the number one beach community and Sydney as the must see destination in Australia. We thank Manly Council for its support and we look forward to working in partnership with them and our other partners to make this event a global success. Enjoy the surf, skate and music action, all this summer at Manly Beach.

Barry O’Farrell NSW Premier

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DIRECTOR’S WELCOME

ABOVE: BARTON LYNCH; 1988 WORLD CHAMP, MANLY LEGEND. BARTON IS ALSO THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN CO-CONTEST DIRECTOR WITH LUKE EGAN. RIGHT: MANLY BEACH LOOKING SOUTH FROM QUEENSCLIFF. A SPIRITUAL HOME OF SURFING. PHOTO: ANDREW GREGORY; DESTINATION NSW

Growing up surfing in Manly you’re aware of the rich surfing history; you’re aware of Dave Jackman surfing the Bommie, you’re aware of Midget Farrelly and Phyllis O’Donnell winning their World Titles there in 1964. I even wagged school to watch that famous Coke Classic final in 1978 between Larry Blair and Wayne Lynch. And I thought it was my destiny to win the W H AT YOU ’RE G OIN G TO S E E H ERE AT M A N LY AT TH E AUS TRA LIA N OP E N OF S U R F I N G IS TH E KIN D OF H IG H P E R F ORM A N CE BEACH BRE A K S U R F I N G YOU S E E AT P LACE S L I K E TH E U S OP EN OF S U RF IN G AT H U NTIN GTON.

World Title at Manly on my home beach in front of my family and friends here in 1987 at the Coke Classic but I lost, and for me it was one of the most

heartbreaking moments of my career. I was just lucky my destiny was waiting for me at Pipeline the following year! There hasn’t been a men’s pro tour event here at Manly since 1999, and the change in performance surfing in that time, well, you wouldn’t even recognise it. I’m super excited that this contest is happening in Manly. It’s another chapter in Manly’s surfing history waiting to be written. I’m excited to spend the time back home in Manly and bump into some old mates… and see the best surfers in the world. – BL

MEN’S PRO SURFING

ABOVE: KELLY SLATER CHAIRED UP THE BEACH AFTER WINNING THE 2011 US OPEN AT HUNTINGTON. OPPOSITE: THE KIND OF SURFING THAT TOOK BRETT SIMPSON TO CONSECUTIVE US OPEN TITLES AT HIS HOME BEACH OF HUNTINGTON. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HURLEY

The Australian Open of Surfing will see the world’s best surfers competing in front of a huge and appreciative surfing crowd. As a six-star ASP tour event, and the first major contest of the 2012 ASP season in Australia, the Australian Open of Surfing will put the top-rated surfers in the world up against a horde of the most freakishly talented young guys on tour. Already confirmed are names like Taj Burrow, Kolohe Andino, Jordy Smith, Adrian Buchan, Joel Parkinson, Brett Simpson and Mitch Crews. Modelled off the super-successful US Open of Surfing at California’s Huntington Beach, it’ll be a spectacle for both surf fans and surfer alike. “I surfed in the US Open last year,” said world number two Joel Parkinson, “and I was blown away. Surfing in front of a crowd that size is something

else. Just looking in from the water and seeing a beach full of humanity is like being on the field playing in a grand final.” “Giving the groms, and for that matter the everyday surfer, the chance to see their heroes destroy the same waves they rush home from school and work to surf everyday is inspiring,” said world number 16, Adrian Buchan. The action begins at Manly Beach on February 11 when the world’s best junior surfers battle it out at the Australian Open of Surfing Pro Junior. AUSTRALIAN OPEN OF SURFING

ASP 6-star rated • Men’s 13-19 • February Steyne, Manly Beach • North • $155,000 prize money

WOMEN’S PRO SURFING

ABOVE: LAST YEAR’S US OPEN WINNER, SALLY FITZGIBBONS. OPPOSITE: CALIFORNIAN COURTNEY CONLOGUE THROWING HEAT AT LAST YEAR’S US OPEN. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HURLEY

The performance level on last year’s ASP Women’s Tour broke through to astounding new places. Surfers like Carissa Moore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Steph Gilmore and Tyler Wright all surfed phenomenally, their heats generating a huge buzz. And with the Australian Open of Surfing being the first event of the 2012 ASP girls’ calendar, they’ll be keen to take up where they left off. The girls have had plenty of recent experience in the waves of Manly. Local iconess and seven-time World Champion, Layne Beachley hosted her eponymous world tour event at Manly Beach between 2006 and 2008. Those events produced two stunning results. The first was teenage wildcard Steph

Gilmore beating Layne in the 2006 final. The second was in 2008 when Steph – by this time a World Champion herself – lost to 14-year-old wildcard Tyler Wright in the final. And with the Australian Open being a star-rated event, it means the top female surfers in the world will again test themselves against the best emerging talent. The little sister of the girls’ event is the Australian Open of Surfing Pro Junior, which kicks off Feb 12. AUSTRALIAN OPEN OF SURFING ASP 6-star rated • Women’s 13-19 • February Steyne, Manly Beach • North • $40,000 prize money

PRO SKATE BEACH BOWL

ABOVE: NOLAN JOHNSON, INVERT. RIGHT: TOM REMILLARD’S FRONTSIDE AIR. PHOTOS: COURTESY HURLEY

While the world’s best surfers are flaring out in the water, back at the event site a bunch of the world’s best pro skaters will be dropping into The Beach Bowl for a share of $50,000 prize money. The skate stronghold of Manly will play host to 40 of skate’s biggest names, drawn from all over the world. They’ll be skating in a jam format, with four-tosix skaters at a time taking to the Beach Bowl. The pro skaters will be joined by 20 Masters and 16 local junior skaters. The action will culminate on Sunday afternoon with the Masters Final, the Pro Final, and the Best Trick Competition.

THE BEACH BOWL February 16-19 North Steyne, Manly Beach $50,000 prize money

• • •

The Beach Bowl will be making its debut Down Under at the Australian Open of Surfing. The Bowl is a custombuilt skating marvel; created in 1999 it’s travelled the world from Brazil to England and throughout the USA.  The kidney-shaped bowl has a vert extension and a hip, and caters for hundreds of trick combinations. S   pectators will have access to grandstands positioned around the bowl, giving skate-fans a perfect view of the crew shredding it up.

LIVE MUSIC No good beachside surf and skate event is complete without a pulsing live soundtrack, and the Australian Open of Surfing will bring some of Australia’s biggest bands to the sands of Manly. On Friday afternoon the surfers in the last heat of the day won’t even be dry when DJ Grant Smillie’s first track kicks in. Grant’s set will then be followed by the punk-hop of Bluejuice, before Sydney’s favourite dance act, Sneaky LIVE MUSIC Channel [V] stage, North Steyne February 17 & 18 4pm-6.30pm

• • • •

Sound System celebrate the imminent arrival of the biggest weekend Manly has seen in a long time. But just when you think you’ve got it too good already, Saturday afternoon on the Channel [V] Stage will open up with Amy, Hannah, Sarah and Holly Findlay – better known as Stonefield. They’ll be followed by the driving guitars of Children Collide, before a secret headliner – one of the greatest ever live bands – close the day out.

BELOW LEFT: CHILDREN COLLIDE BELOW RIGHT: SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM OPPOSITE: MUSIC FANS KICKIN’ THE JAMS AT THE US OPEN OF SURFING. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HURLEY

EVENT SCHEDULE TIME

PLACE EVENT

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH 08:00 AM - 02:49 PM Surf Stadium

Junior Men

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH 08:00 AM - 11:24 AM Surf Stadium 11:25 AM - 03:30 PM Surf Stadium

Junior Women Junior Men

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH 08:00 AM - 02:47 PM Surf Stadium

AOS Women

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH 08:00 AM - 10:32 AM Surf Stadium 10:33 AM - 02:47 PM Surf Stadium

AOS Women AOS Men

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH 08:00 AM - 01:56 PM Surf Stadium 01:57 PM - 03:38 PM Surf Stadium 03:39 PM - 04:55 PM Surf Stadium

AOS Men AOS Women AOS Men

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH 08:00 AM - 04:29 PM Surf Stadium 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM Beach Bowl 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM Beach Bowl 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM Beach Bowl

AOS Men Skate Masters Practice Skate Pro Practice Skate Juniors

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 08:00 AM - 03:38 PM 10:30 PM - 03:30 PM 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM 05:30 PM - 06:30 PM

AOS Men Skate Open Practice Skate Pro Heats DJ - Grant Smillie Opening Band Sneaky Sound System

17TH Surf Stadium Beach Bowl Beach Bowl Music Stage Music Stage Music Stage

DAILY: 7:30AM – 6.00PM......Welcome Centre | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM......Retail Store SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH 08:00 AM - 11:49 AM Surf Stadium 11:00 AM - 01:30 PM Beach Bowl 11:50 PM - 12:35 PM Surf Stadium 12:36 PM - 01:26 PM Surf Stadium 01:26 PM - 01:51 PM Surf Stadium 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM Beach Bowl 01:57 PM - 02:27 PM Surf Stadium 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM Beach Bowl 02:28 PM - 02:57 PM Surf Stadium 02:58 PM - 03:28 PM Surf Stadium 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM Beach Bowl 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM Music Stage 04:30 PM – 05:30 PM Music Stage 05:30 PM – 06:30 PM Music Stage

AOS Men Skate Open Practice AOS Women Semis Junior Men Semis BlackBerry BBM Music Power 50 Super Session Skate Masters Heat Junior Women Finals Skate Sony Best Trick Practice Junior Men Finals Junior Surf Awards Ceremony Skate Pro Heat Opening Band Children Collide Special Guest headline act

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH 08:00 AM - 11:48 AM Surf Stadium 10:30 AM – 02:00 PM Beach Bowl 11:49 AM - 12:19 PM Surf Stadium 12:19 PM - 12:44 PM Surf Stadium 12:50 PM - 01:20 PM Surf Stadium 01:21 PM - 01:51 PM Surf Stadium 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM Beach Bowl 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM Beach Bowl 03:30 PM – 04:00 PM Beach Bowl 04:00 PM – 05:00 PM Beach Bowl 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM Beach Bowl 06.00PM – 06.15 PM Beach Bowl

AOS Men Open Skate AOS Women Finals BlackBerry BBM Music Power 50 Super Session AOS Men Finals Surf Awards Ceremony Skate Masters Practice Skate Masters Final Skate Pro Practice Skate Pro Final Skate Sony Best Trick Beach Bowl Skate Awards

* Event schedule subject to change. Check australianopenofsurfing.com for schedule updates.

SALLY FITZGIBBONS

SALLY, FROM THE NSW SOUTH COAST, IS LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPETING IN MANLY.

What is the best thing about pro surfing returning to Manly? It has a lot of history going back to the Coke Classic days, so to bring back some of that magic will be amazing. Aside from the surfing, what aspect of the Australian Open of Surfing

WORLD TOUR SURFER

are you looking forward to most? It is supposed to be like the US Open where they have concerts and skate events on the beach. There will be a lot of exciting things on the go, which creates an amazing atmosphere to compete in. What is your favourite thing to do in Sydney? Going for a morning run around the harbour and the Botanical Gardens. What is it about Manly that makes it so special to surfers? A lot of great surf contest locations are remote and the general population might not be inclined to travel to them. Manly is the first stop when you get off the ferry and the beginning of the beautiful Northern Beaches so having it close to the heart of Sydney where big crowds can get involved will make it special.

ADRIAN BUCHAN What is the best thing about competitive surfing returning to Manly? It’s the birthplace of surfing in Australia, and it’s great to go back there and showcase modern surfing to the people of Sydney. Aside from the surfing, what aspect of the Open are you looking forward to most? Performing in front of a big crowd for all of the athletes and musicians will be really exciting, and it’s as close as I get to having a home crowd. What is your favourite thing to do in Sydney? Going out to a good restaurant – all the hidden gems in China Town, Kings Cross and Paddington. There’s nothing better than exploring the restaurants off the beaten track.

WORLD TOUR SURFER

What sets the Open format aside from a regular surfing event? It’s more than just a surfing contest. There’s something for the whole family, be it surfing, skating, music or stalls. It’s going to be fun.

“ACE” BUCHAN IS LOOKING TO START 2012 OFF WITH A WIN AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN.

THE MANLY AREA OPPOSITE: THE SANDS OF MANLY, US OPEN OF SURFING HUNTINGTON PHOTO: AUSTALIAN OPEN OF SURFING BELOW: A HELI-EYE VIEW OF MANLY WITH THE FINE CITY OF SYDNEY IN THE BACKGROUND. PHOTO: HAMILTON LUND; DESTINATION NSW

Long before the Australian Open of Surfing was even conceived the Manly area was recognised world-wide as one of the planet’s ideal surfing locations. Manly Beach played host to the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and was the first Australian beach to allow daylight swimming in 1904. Take the bus just up the road and you’ll

find Narrabeen, while a little further north is perhaps Australia’s most recognisable beach – Palm Beach – or as it’s known to television viewers, Home and Away’s Summer Bay. Remember, whichever of the region’s beaches you visit, always swim between the flags, respect the local environment and take advantage of the region’s efficient public transport. The Australian Open of Surfing is a smoke and alcohol-free event!

GETTING THERE

parking available • Limited public transport • Catch connections all over Sydney • Bus For more information on public • transport options visit the 131500.info site or call 131 500

N E W S O U T H WA L E S From the powerful tranquility of Cape Howe in the south to the teeming surftropolis of Tweed Heads in the north, every one of New South Wales’ 892 beaches feels like its own little universe. The Sydney coastline is also rich in surf folklore, every beach has a story to tell, and four of Australia’s 11 National Surfing Reserves – Cronulla, Maroubra, Manly and North Narrabeen – are Sydney beaches. As you drive south down the Princes Highway the highrise soon gives way to stunning forested coast. If it’s space you crave, the NSW South Coast has miles of it. From the ancient waves of Summercloud Bay to the old whaling towns near the border, this is a coast from another time.

Meanwhile, the road trip north from Sydney has become a modern classic. Whether it be chasing a swell, or a simple bit of escapism, the NSW North Coast has become more a state of mind than a simple drive. People have been metaphorically lost here for weeks, months… even lifetimes. Turn-offs to famous pointbreaks like Crescent Head, Angourie, Lennox Head and Byron Bay summon you from the highway as you follow the sun and swell to the north.

DISCOVER NSW

• sydney.com • visitnsw.com • twitter.com/sydney_sider • twitter.com/nswtips

OPPOSITE: NSW IS A PLAYGROUND FOR SURFERS.THE LEGENDARY PACIFIC COAST. LENNOX HEAD, NSW. ABOVE: DAWN PATROL IN PARADISE.

THINGS TO DO IN SYDNEY TROPFEST, THE BIGGEST SMALL FILM FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TROPFEST

Treading the sands of the world’s best urban beaches is just the start of your amazing Sydney discovery. The thriving metropolis by the sea is brimming with culture and activity:

BridgeClimb, a guided tour over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Catch a ferry from Manly to Circular Quay and experience the harbour first hand. Walk the scenic pathway that travels the cliff tops of Bondi Beach to Tamarama and Bronte. Check out the Surf City exhibit at the Museum of Sydney, capturing the city’s six-decade love affair with surfing. TropFest, the largest outdoor film festival in the world, celebrating its 20th year in The Domain. For more visit sydney.com

Getting radical in loose Sydney hangin’

the 60s in the50s, 50’s, 60s and and 70s 70s

Exhibition on now MUSEUM OF SYDNEY Cnr Bridge & Phillip sts Daily 9.30am–5pm HHT.NET.AU