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Auckland's Piha beach confirmed as host for World Surf League event

September 10, 2019
Aerial view of Piha Beach in winter time. Auckland / New Zealand

A popular Auckland beach has been confirmed as the host of a World Surf League event for next year.

It was first reported by 1 NEWS  in June  that Piha was being considered for an international event, and this morning the WSL confirmed in a statement the beach is one of eight venues for their new Challenger Series.

"In 2020, the World Surf League (WSL) will launch the Challenger Series, a new level of competition that will provide athletes more opportunities at the highest level to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT)," the organisation said in a statement.

"As professional surfing continues to grow in popularity and the levels of performance go from strength to strength, the premium Challenger Series will look to build to a maximum of 10 events in the future.

"There will be additional marketing and live event content to further elevate these important events and athletes."

Piha will be the first event of the season, taking place in March and will feature both men and women, unlike some other events.

"This is another important step in our evolution," WSL chief executive Sophie Golschmidt said.

"We expect the series to further enhance the career path for future CT athletes and to also become commercially positive."

Kiwi surf stars welcomed the news, with both Paige Hareb and Ricardo Christie excited to compete in home waters.

"I'm so excited to surf in a major WSL event on home soil," said Hareb.

"It's been quite a few years now since NZ has had a major surf event and I definitely think we're due for one and I can't wait to see the positive effect it will have on surfing in NZ.

"Kiwis only ever really get to watch the big events online, so it'll be awesome for them to be able to watch it live in their own backyard. This will also be the first time I've competed in NZ for equal points and prize money, which will be amazing - the future is now."

Christie, meanwhile, described the news today as "awesome". 

"It will be cool for the whole country to see some really high-quality surfing again. We've had some big events in the past and they did wonders for the local surfing community, so it will be really cool to see that again.

"I hope that having an event of this stature will make it easier for the next generation of New Zealand surfers to give it their best."

The full WSL 2020 schedule will be released later this year.

2020 WSL Challenger Series Schedule:

Piha, New Zealand (March), Men's and Women's
Ballito, South Africa (July), Men's
Huntington Beach, USA (August), Men's and Women's
Pantin, Spain (September), Men's and Women's
Ericeira, Portugal (September), Men's
Phillip Island, Australia (November), Women's
Haleiwa, Hawaii (November), Men's
Sunset, Hawaii (December), Men's

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