Sally Fitzgibbons’ Sydney surf pro and international beach festival back in 2017
Sally Fitzgibbons has plans for the Sydney International Women’s Pro and International Beach Festival to become a permanent sporting feature as the annual curtain-raiser to summer.
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SALLY Fitzgibbons has plans for the Sydney International Women’s Pro and International Beach Festival to become a permanent sporting feature as the annual curtain-raiser to summer.
The inaugural event this year boasted the biggest field of women’s surfers of any tournament in the world.
The professional surfer and her business, Fitzgibbons International, are set to finetune the Cronulla event, which included mass-participation events such as a run and ocean swim, an ironwoman invitational featuring top surf stars, a boardriders challenge, a pro-assist, fitness classes and Cinema by the Sea.
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Fitzgibbons was eliminated in the round of 16 of last weekends world qualifying series event by Western Australian Bronte Macaulay. Not even that, or an ankle injury she has been forced to manage, has dampened Fitzgibbons’ enthusiasm for the event.
“There’s such a great vibe here I could not be happier,’’ Fitzgibbons said.
“As we were building it, it was like organising a party, where you wonder, is anyone going to come?”
As the final world qualifying event for women, the Sydney International Pro attracted 96 surfers from 12 nations, making it the biggest world surf league women’s event in 2016.
It was also one of the most important as it will help determine the women who will make up the 17-strong field to contest the women’s world tour next year.
Fitzgibbons said one of the most pleasing aspects for her was the success of the pro-assist for five-to-nine-year-olds.
“Too see them smile and just love our sport was the best,’’ she said.
An estimated 100,000 plus spectators made their way through the festival site at Cronulla over the four days.
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