Australian surf legends Barton Lynch and Luke Egan have been confirmed as Contest Directors of the inaugural The Australian Open of Surfing, at iconic Manly Beach, February 11-19. Presented by Hurley and Billabong, the unique surf, skate and music event is one of the biggest of its kind ever staged in Australia.
With a combined 37 years on the world tour, Lynch and Egan will bring their unparalleled experience and local Manly knowledge to the first ever The Australian Open of Surfing in their pivotal roles as Contest Directors.
The pair will be responsible for the daily schedule of one of Australia’s biggest tournaments, with the primary role of maintaining a critical eye on conditions to ensure the world’s best surfers are afforded the best possible conditions in which to compete. The competition will include a 6 Star ASP men and a 6 Star ASP women’s event, as well as a 4 Star ASP Pro Junior event (refer following editors notes for full details).
Competitors and rivals when they were on the world tour, both Barton and Luke are looking forward to working together at Manly Beach.
Of his role as The Australian Open of Surfing Contest Director Barton Lynch says, “I grew up in Manly and from the age of 12 until 30 I surfed there nearly every day. It’s exciting to see a competition the size of The Australian Open of Surfing coming back to the Northern Beaches. The Coke Surfabout was the biggest event when I was growing up, and inspired me to become a pro-surfer. But there has been nothing like it since 1999. The return of a large scale competition will give Sydneysiders and tourists the opportunity to see the best surfing in the world at Manly. And at this time of year we are expecting good, consistent waves.”
“Having spent time at the US Open in California, and knowing what an amazing event that is, I can’t wait to be part of a groundbreaking event of the magnitude and scale of the Australian Open of Surfing. There has never been an event of this type and size in Sydney before, and it will be great to see all the grandstands packed to the rafters bringing together surf, skate and music cultures. Another thing I am looking forward to at the event is the local trials, which will give the top eight from the North Steyne and Queenscliffe Boardriders a chance to win wildcard spots to compete against the world’s best surfers,” added Lynch.
The Australian Open of Surfing Contest Director Luke Egan says, “It’s exciting that such a highly rated ASP event will be in Sydney – it’s been too long since we’ve seen a competition of this calibre locally. I’m looking forward to being in the thick of it all, and after many years on the tour with Barton I’m really looking forward to working with him as a Contest Director. We both know Manly well, and know it will deliver great surf.”
Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect The Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.
To check out our preview of the Australian Open of Surfing, click HERE
