The First Challenger Series Event Of 2025 Has Dropped

Hours before Cooly native Paul Fisher played a sold-out beach show to a crowd of 30,000 inebriated festival goers in May this year, Mikey McDonagh and Erin Brooks took out the Gold Coast Pro Challenger Series (CS) event in spectacular fashion. 

Brooks scored a 10 in the semis for muscling a proper behind-the-rock keg before steamrolling Luana Silva in the finals. Meanwhile McDonagh from nearby Lennox, dispatched Sammy Pupo in a point break masterclass that had the entirety of Le-Ba Boardriders Club erupting in cahoots. 

Yesterday, however, the WSL announced the first (and only) Australian CS event will be held 760 kilometers south in Steel City, otherwise known as Newcastle. Based on the event permit expiry date, we’ve extrapolated that Narrabeen has also been scrapped. Probs, a good riddance.

Snapper, by contrast, will belong to the CT until 2028 at least, joining Bells and Margaret River as part of a three event Aus leg. The last time the event was a CT was five years ago and ironically ran at D’Bah, where the goofy-footed pair of Italo Ferreira and Caroline Marks etched their names onto the 2019 trophies. 

A fair trade if you ask me, Snapper should be reserved for cream talent. The big question is whether they schedule it before or after the mid-year cut. 

Surfing two-man heats at the Superbank certainly works as a good carrot. 

But back to Newy.

Per the WSL’s presser, “The iconic Surfest event, almost in its 40th year, will be held at Merewether Beach from June 1-8, 2025, bringing together over 120 surfers aiming to qualify for the 2026 Championship Tour (CT).”

Previous winners include: Kelly Slater (USA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), and Tom Curren (AUS), to name a few. 

Only two Novacastrians have ever won SURFEST, Philippa Anderson in 2009 and Jackson Baker in 2022, both of whom are still on the Changa. The last time it ran was as a QS5000, where Joel Vaughan and Ellie Harisson emerged victorious. 

A WSL spokesperson told Stab the full schedule for the 2025 CS will announced after the last event of this season (Saquarema).

Disqus the merit of the Changaz changes below!