Manly to host trio of world champions, Tokyo Olympians at Surf Pro

Kelly Slater will be absent but one of the most extraordinary fields to ever compete in NSW will be surfing at this year’s Sydney Pro at Manly.

Two-time world champion Tyler Wright finished second at the Maui Pro at Honolula Bay in December in her return to the world tour.

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Surf legend Kelly Slater will be absent but in his place for the 2020 Sydney Surf Pro will be one of the hottest fields ever assembled outside a world tour event, including a trio of world champions headed by Australian surfing survivor Tyler Wright.

Wright, from the NSW south coast, will be contesting her first major event in Australia since 2018 when struck down by an illness which deprived her of chasing a third straight world title and eventually kept her shorebound for 18 months.

Tyler Wright has yet to compete in an Australian event since being sidelined from the world tour for 18 months due to illness. Pic: Nigel Hallett.

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Wright, diagnosed with influenza A with complications, made a stunning return to competition last December when she finished second at the Maui Pro World Tour event.

Also in the first ever event of the new WSL Challenge Series from March 8 will be world champions Carissa Moore and Adriano de Souza.

Between them the Australian, American and Brazilian trio boast seven world titles with Wright winning in 2015 and 2016, Moore in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and de Souza in 2015.

Slater was the headline act at Manly in 2019 but this year will surf in a New Zealand event.

Also making an appearance at Manly will be three of the four surfers expected to represent Australia when the sport makes its debut at the Tokyo Olympics.

Kelly Slater mobbed by fans after he was eliminated in the third round of the Sydney Surf Pro at Manly last year. Pic: Troy Snook.

Kelly Slater pulled massive crowds at the event last year.

Sally Fitzgibbons, Owen Wright and Julian Wilson have all confirmed they will compete at Manly.

They, and multiple world champion Stephanie Gilmore, have all satisfied the World Surf League (WSL) ranking requirement for Olympic qualification but must wait until May to be confirmed onto the team by the Australian Olympic Committee.

Officials are also working towards having every Australian, bar Gilmore, competing on the world tour in 2020 at the Manly event.

This will include young gun Macy Callaghan from the Central Coast and rookie Isabella Nichols from Queensland.

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