Sally Fitzgibbons and world surf rivals set to create waves at Sydney International Pro

AROUND half of the women’s world tour of surfing will compete at the Sydney International Pro next month, adding international star power to the Sally Fitzgibbons-backed event.

L-R Billabong team riders Isabella Nichols, Laura Enever, Alessa Quizon and Courtney Conlogue. Conlogue is the only surfer not coming to Sydney.

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AROUND half of the women’s world tour of surfing will compete at the Sydney International Pro next month, adding serious international star power to the Sally Fitzgibbons backed event.

The women-only surfing event, part of the world qualifying series, will boast one of the strongest fields seen outside world surf league events in Australia.

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It will also feature the stars of the future and potentially the majority of female surfers who will create history when Tokyo hosts the first ever surfing competition at an Olympic Games in 2020.

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Fitzgibbons is one of eight women currently on the world tour who have signed on for the inaugural event.

Joining her are fellow world tour surfers Alessa Quizon and Coco Ho from Hawaii, Chelsea Tuach from Barbados, Sage Erickson from the US, and Australians Laura Enever, Keeley Andrew and Nikki Van Dijk.

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Heading the field of surfers to watch is junior world surfing champion Isabella Nichols and former world tour surfer Dimity Stoyle.

The field, which boasts Japanese, British and American surfers, is already oversubscribed with 95 surfers confirmed, five on the waiting list and two wildcards to be invited to compete.

Sage Erickson and Laura Enever at the recent world surfing awards.

The four-day surfing tournament is the centre piece of the inaugural International Beach Festival at Cronulla in November.

A board riders battle, a pro assist, the Shire Mile, an Ocean swim and assorted other events for families, children and elite athletes will run alongside the world qualifying surf event.

For more information, or to enter events such as the Ocean swim or Shire Mile, go to the main site of the International Beach Festival.

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