Locks, contenders and dark horses: the Aussies in contention for WSL Challenger Series qualification
With the final QS event kicking off in Newcastle, we’ve taken a look the standings to see which surfers are in with a chance of qualifying for the second-tier Challenger Series.
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As far as Australian surfing goes, all eyes are on Newcastle this week as the City of Newcastle Pro kicked off at Merewether Beach on Tuesday.
In addition to being one of the country’s most prestigious surfing competitions, the 5000-point event, which forms part of Newcastle’s broader Surfest, also doubles as the final of the Australia/Oceania leg of the WSL Qualifying Series (QS), with competitors set to battle it out for the final spots on the second-tiered Challenger Series, to be held later this year.
The top seven men and top four women on the QS will automatically qualify for the Challenger Series, in the hope of then making the cut for the top-tiered Championship Tour (CT) in 2024.
As action kicks off, we’ve taken a look at the rankings to see who’s in the box seat, who’s knocking on the door and who is in need of a big result to make it through to the next stage.
Men
In the box seat
1) Jarvis Earle – Cronulla, NSW (10,107 points)
The Cronulla local – and current WSL World Junior Champion – sits well clear at the top of the rankings, thanks to a blistering start to the 2022/23 season that saw him pick up huge points by finishing third at the Krui Pro in Indonesia, winning the 3000-point Taiwan Open of Surfing and 13th place in Nias.
He backed that up this year with third at the Great Lakes Pro at Boomerang Beach and 17th at the Tweed Coast event at Cabarita to be assured a spot on the Challenger Series.
2) Alister Reginato – Alexandra Headland, QLD (8405)
The 21-year-old from Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast has been Mr Consistent on the tour this season, picking up two second-place finishes at Avoca and Maroubra, as well as a third at the Tweed Coast Pro and fifth in Taiwan last year to be sitting very pretty heading into Surfest.
3) Reef Heazlewood – Moffat Beach, QLD (8329)
Another of the Sunshine Coast crew, the 23-year-old aerial wizard has recaptured much of the form that saw him finish second on the QS back in 2021, with many tipping the Caloundra local to go all the way and qualify for the CT.
With a spectacular display of aerial surfing, Heazlewood finished second in Taiwan and picked up two fifth-place finishes in Krui and Cabarita to be considered fairly safe, regardless of what happens in Newcastle.
4) Te Kehukehu Butler – New Zealand (7746)
The Kiwi roared back into the top seven after finishing fifth at last week’s Central Coast Pro at Avoca.
This built on another fifth at Boomerang Beach last month and a massive second-place finish at Cabarita in January.
A positive result should see him qualify for the Challenger Series for the second year in a row, where he will be out to better his 55th ranking from 2022.
5) Mike Clayton-Brown – Corlette, NSW (7489)
The great local QS hope in the men’s division, Clayton-Brown will be banking on his home break knowledge as a member of the legendary Merewether Surfboard Club to secure his spot on the Challenger Series.
This season has been a breakthrough for the 19-year-old from Corlette in Port Stephens, highlighted by twin fifth-place finishes at Indonesia events in Krui and Nias, and third at the Great Lakes Pro in Boomerang Beach.
6) Soli Bailey – Byron Bay, NSW (7347)
A former CT competitor from 2019 and winner of the prestigious Pipe Pro in Hawaii back in 2017, Bailey is one of the most accomplished surfers on this year’s QS.
His season starting strongly with two fifths in Krui and Nias, before a recent victory at the Port Stephens Pro at nearby Birubi and a fifth at Avoca last week pushed him into the top seven.
He also famously helped Byron Bay take out the Australian Boardriders Battle just up the road at Newcastle Beach in early February, and will be hoping that the Hunter is a happy hunting ground once again as he seeks to get back to the main stage of world surfing.
7) Billy Stairmand – New Zealand (7320)
One of the best New Zealand surfers of his generation, the 33-year-old is well and truly a QS veteran, and has shown his experience with a string of impressive performances.
A first at Maroubra, second at the QS 5000 event in Krui and 13th at Cabarita have him well and truly in the mix to qualify for the Challenger Series for the second year in a row.
Knocking on the door
8) Mikey McDonagh – Lennox Head, NSW (7032)
In the rare position of having won two events (Great Lakes and Maroubra) but still being outside the automatic qualification spots, McDonagh is well within striking distance of a top-seven finish if he can keep up his impressive form at Newcastle.
The highlight for the 21-year-old from Lennox Head would undoubtedly be his last-minute win at Boomerang Beach, when he caught a wave with just four second remaining in the final to defeat Queenslander Taj Stokes and take out the event.
9) Marlon Harrison – Coolangatta, QLD (7015)
One of the brightest prospects in Australian surfing, the 18-year-old got off to the best possible start on this season’s QS, taking out the QS 5000 Nias Pro last year with some excellent tube riding scoring him a 10-point ride in the final.
While his QS form might not have lived up to those lofty heights since, he recently won the Lake Mac City Pro Junior event at nearby Redhead Beach, and will be hoping for some more magic at Merewether.
10) Xavier Huxtable – Jan Juc, VIC (7013)
One of Victorian surfing’s next big things, Huxtable has been a measure of consistency this season, pulling out solid results in just about all conditions on tour.
Highlighted by taking out the URBNSURF Pro at the wave pool in Melbourne, the 20-year-old Aussie rules footballer also claimed a fifth at Boomerang Beach, twin ninths at Cabarita and Krui and a 13th at Nias to be within striking distance of a Challenger Series spot.
11) Jaggar Bartholomew – Snapper Rocks, QLD (6822)
The son Australian surfing royalty and 1978 world champion Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, 21-year-old Jaggar is trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps by carving out a career in professional surfing.
The Snapper Rocks local has shown he’s capable of pulling out some big results, such as his third-place finish in Nias, and will be gunning for a similar result in Newcastle as he look to climb the rankings.
Dark horses
12) Taj Stokes – Kawana, QLD (6552)
The 19-year-old Sunshine Coast prodigy has shown more than a few flashes of what he is capable of this season in what has been a slightly up and down campaign.
A second-place finish at the Great Lakes Pro, fifth at Krui and a win at Cape Naturaliste in WA has put him in contention for a shot at the Challenger Series if he can pull out a big result this week.
13) Jordan Lawler – North Narrabeen, NSW (6406)
It has been a season of extremes from the experienced Northern Beaches surfer, who is still in contention for a spot on the Challenger Series thanks to his excellent victory at the QS 5000 Tweed Coast Pro event in February.
While there is a huge gulf between that result and his next best, the 28-year-old – who in 2021 just missed out on qualifying for the top-tiered CT by the narrowest of margins – has shown that he has the quality to pull out big performances when they matter most.
Women
In the box seat
1) Paige Hareb – New Zealand (11,720)
The 32-year-old has well and truly shown her class on this year’s tour, with her results resembling a greatest hits at the big-scoring events.
Highlighted by taking out the QS 5000 Nias Pro in June last year, the seven-year CT veteran also put in strong performances at Krui, Cabarita, Taiwan and Boomerang Beach to be streets ahead of her nearest rival, and is looking strong for another tilt at CT qualification.
2) Kobie Enright – Coolangatta, QLD (9374)
With incredible consistency, the 23-year-old has taken her surfing to another level this season, with her ninth-place finish at Krui being remarkably her worst on the tour.
With three thirds so far (Nias, Great Lakes and Gold Coast Pro), the 23-year-old is primed for a big result at Surfest before taking on the Challenger Series.
3) Ellie Harrison – Barwon Heads, VIC (9347)
The 17-year-old has confirmed why she’s considered one of the next big things in Australian surfing with an excellent season beyond her years.
She finished second in the Great Lakes Pro, fifth in Taiwan and then racked up three ninths at the Tweed Coast, Krui and Nias events to leave her in third place in the rankings.
But even these impressive results don’t quite explain how good her season has been, with the Barwon Heads local putting in excellent performances at lower-ranked events at Cape Naturaliste (first), Urban Surf (second), the Gold Cost (second) and Phillip Island (third).
4) Nyxie Ryan – Lennox Head, NSW (9220)
One the back of an excellent last month, the 20-year-old has stormed into the top four and heads into the Newcastle event as arguably the form surfer on tour.
In what was a famous day for Le-Ba Boardriders, last month Ryan and clubmate Mikey McDonagh both took out the Great Lakes Pro at Boomerang Beach, before following that up with a second-place finish at the Central Coast Pro at Avoca last week.
She might be sitting in the last automatic qualification spot, but if Ryan continues her hot of form, then she will book for spot on the Challenger Series.
Knocking on the door
5) Philippa Anderson – Merewether, NSW (8362)
Along with Mikey Clayton-Brown in the men’s draw, Anderson is the great local hope to qualify for the Challenger Series.
A super consistent surfer who incredibly hasn’t finished lower than ninth all season, the 31-year-old will be baking on her experience and local knowledge to pull out a big result in front of friends and family.
6) Zahli Kelly – Pumpenbil, NSW (7705)
It’s rare to find a professional surfer who didn’t grow up within a few hundred metres of the coast, but that was exactly the case for the 19-year-old Kelly, who was brought up on a little farm at Pumpenbil, about an hour inland from the nearest beach in the Tweed Shire in northern NSW.
After a mixed campaign that featured four fifth-place finishes, Kelly kept her hopes of making the Challenger Series cut for the second successive year with an excellent win at last week’s QS 3000 Central Coast Pro, and will be hoping to emulate this a little further up the coast in Newcastle this week.
Surfest: the top local contenders
Jackson Baker
He made his history last year by becoming the first Novocastrian to win the men’s event, and now the 26-year-old is back to defend his title after being confirmed as a late entrant.
As the only current CT competitor in the draw, the Merewether local will bring plenty of star power to this year’s Surfest and headline the incredibly strong local contingent.
Baker is currently sitting in 27th place on the CT, outside of the top-22 mid-season cut-off, and will be hoping that a strong performance on his home break will the perfect preparation for the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach on April 4.
Philippa Anderson
The queen of surfing in Newcastle for a decade now, Anderson will look to take out the title she won as a fresh-faced 17-year-old way back in 2009.
It’ll be more than just a great chance to surf at her home break in front of family and friends, but also a fantastic opportunity to seal her spot on the Challenger Series as she seeks to make the step up to the CT.
The 31-year-old, who grew up in South Africa before moving to Merewether at the age of 12, will come into the event placed fifth on the QS, just outside the top-four automatic qualification spots.
She has been in strong form of late, recently coming off a second-placed finish at the Port Stephens Pro at Birubi earlier this month, as well as making the quarter-finals of the Central Coast Pro at Avoca last week.
Morgan Cibilic
One of the golden boys of the Merewether Surfboard Club, the 23-year-old will be one of the biggest names in the draw when he paddles out at his home break.
Cibilic burst onto the scene in 2021, finishing fifth in the world on the top-tier Championship Tour (CT) in his rookie year, earning a spot at the season-ending finals at Trestles in California.
Despite his stellar start, ‘Morgs’ had a more difficult 2022, missing the top-22 cut after the halfway point of the CT before narrowly missing out on requalification for this year’s tour via the Challenger Series.
Having already gained a wildcard for this year’s Challenger Series on account of 2022’s near miss, Cibilic will be hoping that a strong performance at home will set him up for another tilt at qualification for the CT.
Sarah Baum
Another one of the Hunter’s South African-born brigade, the Newcastle-based Baum might be a member of the East End Boardriders Club in town but surfs under the South African banner.
She has been in good form so far in 2023, taking out the QS 5000 Tweed Coast Pro at Cabarita Beach in January in what she described as “definitely the biggest win of my career”.
Having already claimed a wildcard for the Challenger Series, Baum will be hoping that a good performance in her adopted home will set herself up nicely for a tilt at the CT later this year.
Mikey Clayton-Brown
With three Merewether Surfboard Club surfers – Cibilic, Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan – all competing on the CT in recent years, Clayton-Brown is seen as the next man in line to potentially make the step-up to the summit of world surfing.
The 19-year-old is enjoying by far his best year on the QS, and will go into Surfest in fifth place in the rankings. This comes off the back of two fifth-place finishes at Indonesian events in Krui and Nias, as well as his best-ever QS result, a third at the Great Lakes Pro at Boomerang Beach last month.
He might come from and still live at Corlette in Port Stephens, but for the past five years Clayton-Brown has surfed with the Merewether club in boardriders comps, and will bring plenty of form and home break knowledge into the event.
A strong result would go a long way to helping him finish in the top seven and qualify for the second-tier Challenger Series later this year.
“For Surfest, I’ll still be able to sleep in my own bed, which is just the best feeling, especially with all the travel we have to do,” he said.
Amelie Bourke
One of the brightest prospects of the Newcastle’s generation-next, the 20-year-old is enjoying her best season on the QS after a string of strong results.
A second at the Cape Naturaliste Pro in October last year, as well as fifth- and ninth-place finishes at the Great Lakes Pro and Tweed Coast Pro earlier this year have the goofy footer sitting in 15th place on the rankings, far exceeding her 33rd last season.
Josh Stretton
Another one of Port Stephens’ most promising surfers, Anna Bay’s Josh Stretton will take plenty of confidence into the event after a string of impressive results.
After securing a wildcard for Surfest at the trials at Birubi Beach last month, the 19-year-old went on a run all the way to the semi-finals of the Port Stephens Pro at the same break, where he was beaten by eventual champion Soli Bailey.
He then backed that up with a quarter final finish at the Maroubra Pro, and will be hoping to keep his hot streak going at Merewether.
Ellie Lambkin
Another Hunter surfer enjoying her best year on tour, the 19-year-old has produced some impressive performances in some of the lower-ranked events on tour.
In a career-best result, Lambkin finished third in the Gold Coast Open last month, knocking off former CT surfer and current QS leader Paige Hareb on her way to the semi-finals.
She backed that up a dual fifth-place finishes, at the 3000-point Great Lakes Pro and Maroubra Pro, and will be hoping her hot run of form continues at home.
Julian Wilson
He might be a Queenslander through and through, but adopted Novocastrian and former CT veteran Julian Wilson will add plenty of star power to the Newcastle City Pro after being announced as a late entrant.
The event will be somewhat of a return to the competitive fray for the 34-year-old, who hasn’t surfed a competitive comp since the US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach in August last year.
A former Surfest winner back from 2020 when he just got over the line against Merewether local Ryan Callinan in an incredibly tight final, the former world number two will undoubtedly attract plenty of eyeballs in his opening round of 64 heat.
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