WSL Challenger Series: North Narrabeen surfer Dylan Moffat set for home break event
After missing out on the world tour last year by the narrowest of margins, North Narrabeen surfer Dylan Moffat is hoping to fire up this year’s campaign on his home break.
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North Narrabeen surfer Dylan Moffat will be hoping to channel some local knowledge when the WSL Challenger Series event kicks off at his home break this week.
The 23-year-old will be one of 80 men and 48 women hitting the water for the event, which forms part of the second tier of world surfing, with the competition window opening on 17 May and closing on 24 May.
“It’s great to have the event back in my hometown,” Moffat said.
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“I love that everyone who travels the world can come and see what this place has to offer. Competing at this level and sleeping in your own bed is such a privilege, I feel super lucky.”
And while Moffat knows the famous left-hand break like the back of his hand, he’s not sure whether he’ll get too much of a leg-up over his opponents.
“I wish I could say I have a hometown advantage but the level of surfing is so high it is freaky. It’s going to be a good week of waves and a really exciting event,” he said.
The North Narrabeen event is the second on the six-stop Challenger Series, and follows on from the series-opening event on the Gold Coast last week.
The top-10 men and top-five women will automatically secure a place on next year’s prestigious WSL Championship Tour (CT) – a cut-throat process the North Narrabeen local knows only too well.
Last year Moffat came painfully close to booking his ticket on the CT, finishing one place outside the automatic qualification spots.
And after a slightly underwhelming 25th-place finish on the Gold Coast, he’ll be looking to properly kick-start his campaign on his home break.
Coming from a long line of legendary surfers from the area, which includes the likes of two-time world champ Damian Hardman, iconic surfer-turned-shaper Simon Anderson and more recently the likes of Nathan Hedge and Laura Enever, Moffat says it will be an honour to compete in front of friends, family and his local community.
“It’s huge. I remember as a kid watching the World Juniors, and just being a stoked grom watching my heroes surfing at my local break was pretty incredible, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty of families coming down,” he said.
“It’s just so exciting having an event in Narrabeen. Growing up here, it’s such a surf-stoke community, so having an event and watching all these Challenger Series athletes surf here is going to be incredible to watch.”
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