With news of the World Surf League bringing a round of the new Challenger Series to New Zealand's Piha, some of our top surfers will get the chance to compete in their home waters.
The event will serve as a precursor for the Championship Tour beginning in Australia the following week, multiple world champions Stephanie Gilmore and Kelly Slater in the mix. Two wildcards will also be offered to local talent.
Kiwi Ella Williams currently competes in the qualifying series, struggling with smaller waves at some of their stop-off events, confident that won't be an issue at Piha.
"We all know, we've seen Piha rescue," she told 1 NEWS.
"We do know Piha does have big waves, and it can be quite sometimes scary and daunting so I think we're definitely going to get waves, which is great."
The event is also expected to be a boost for local surfers, Surfing NZ President Chris Fougere tells 1 NEWS.
"The great thing for us - it's in addition to those New Zealand surfers who are already qualifying through their QS ratings," he said.
"We could see anything up to six or seven New Zealand surfers in the men's field, and probably three to four in the women's field."
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