Fanning & Gilmore Confirmed to Compete at Hurley Australian Open of Surfing

 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, February 7-15, 2015

 

SURF

 

Lining up the heavyweights - Fanning, Gilmore, Wright, Moore and Fitzgibbons

 

Following an impressive line-up of Australian and international surfers, three-time World Surfing Champion and Aussie legend Mick Fanning has confirmed to compete at the 2015 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing from 7-15 February at Manly Beach. With 19 career World Championship Tour (WCT) wins under his belt, Fanning finished 2^nd in the 2014 WSL Men’s World Title race.

 

Also confirmed is six time Women’s World Champion and current No.1 WCT surfer in the world, Steph Gilmore. Gilmore’s addition into the Open Women’s Division means the much-loved, nine-day event, which is free and open to the public, will see the top five female surfers in the world go head to head right on Sydney’s shores.

 

Owned and operated by IMG, with the support of Hurley and Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, the 2015 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing is shaping up to be a highlight on the summer calendar.

 

Tyler Wright (2015 WCT 2), 2014 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing champion Carissa Moore (2015 WCT Rank 3), local Sally Fitzgibbons (2015 WCT Rank 4) and Malia Manuel (2015 WCT Rank 5) have also been announced to battle it out in the Manly waves next month.

 

The Hurley Australian Open of Surfing will be the first time that local legends; Gilmore, Wright and Fitzgibbons will compete against each other since their incredibly close 2014 Women’s World Championship Tour title race. 

 

Joining the all star crew is Sydney local Laura Enever (2015 WCT Rank 10) and Victorian Nikki van Dijk (2015 WCT Rank 15). Coco Ho (2015 WCT Rank 13) and Tatiana Weston – Webb (2015 WCT Rank 16) will join Moore to represent their hometown of Hawaii, USA.

 

Winning both the Open and Junior Men’s Divisions at the 2012 Australian Open of Surfing, Matt Banting (2015 WCT Rank 23) will be returning to the Manly shores. Ranked No. 2 on the 2014 QS standings, 2015 will mark Banting’s rookie year on the Men’s World Championship Tour. Other QS6000 competitors include California’s Kolohe Andino (2015 WCT Rank 11), Aussies Ace Buchan (2015 WCT Rank 15) and Kai Otton (2015 WCT Rank 18), along with Queenslander Bede Durbidge (2015 WCT Rank 16). On the international front, Brazilian Miguel Pupo (2015 WCT Rank 19), Hawaiians Sebastian Zietz (2015 WCT Rank 20), Fred Patacchia Jr. (2015 WCT Rank 21) and Keanu Asing (2015 WCT Rank 28), as well as Frenchman Jeremy Flores (2015 WCT Rank 30) will also hit Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the nine-day festival.

See full list of competing athletes at http://www.australianopenofsurfing.com/2015/athletes

2015 HAOS Men's Open Division Highlights
NAME	2015 WCT RANK	COUNTRY
Mick Fanning	2	NSW, AUS
Kolohe Andino	11	CA, USA
Adrian Buchan	15	NSW,AUS
Bede Durbidge	16	QLD, AUS
Kai Otton	18	NSW, AUS
Miguel Pupo	19	BRA
Sebastian Zietz	20	HI, USA
Fred Patacchia Jr.	21	HI, USA
Matt Banting	23	NSW, AUS
Jeremy Flores	30	FRA
Kai Hing	Wildcard	QLD, AUS
2015 HAOS Women's Open Division Highlights
Stephanie Gilmore	1	NSW, AUS
Tyler Wright	2	NSW, AUS
Carissa Moore	3	HI, USA
Sally Fitzgibbons	4	NSW, AUS
Malia Manuel	5	HI, USA
Laura Enever	10	NSW, AUS
Coco Ho	13	HI, USA
Nikki van Dijk	15	VIC, AUS
Tatiana Weston – Webb	16	HI, USA

SKATE

 

Bring in the icons and the next generation– Barros, Glifberg, Sorgente, Ngoho and Caballero

 

Also returning to the golden sands of Manly Beach is the much loved Hurley Beach Bowl, dominating the beachscape with a massive 500 square metre footprint and a huge four metre drop.

 

Featuring grandstand seating with spectacular beach views, the Beach Bowl will feature a Pro and Masters divisions with world-class athletes.

 

Deemed to be the next Sandro Dias or Bob Burnquist, 19 year old Brazilian Pedro Barros (current World No.1) is set to take on one of the youngest athletes ever to grace the Dew Tour and two-time Guinness World Record, 15-year- old Alessandro Sorgente (USA) in the Pro Division.

 

Nicknamed the “The Great Dane,” Rune Glifberg is one of just three skaters to compete at every X Games and has a total of 12 X Games medals. Californian pro skater and part –time actor, Greyson Fletcher is from a family of surf royalty. His grandfather Herbie Fletcher was a renowned long boarder, and his dad Christian has been credited with cementing aerial surfing and creating some well-known manoeuvres still used in the water today.

 

X Games gold medal winner Lizzie Armanto will be the one to watch next month. As the only female competing in the Pro Division, the 21-year -old Californian has carved up bowls and tournaments since the age of 14 and has won over 30 skateboarding awards.

 

15-year-old Tom Schaar (USA) holds a long list of ‘firsts’. He was the youngest skateboarder to successfully land a “900,” the first skateboarder to land a “1080,” youngest Dew Tour Champion, youngest Big Air gold medallist at the Austin X Games, and the youngest X Games gold medallist at the Asia X Games.

 

Aussies Renton Millar, and Tas Pappas will drop in on the slew of international talent hitting the Beach Bowl in Manly along with young gun, Keegan Palmer and Spain’s No. 1 skater, Denny Leon.

 

Showing the younger generation how it’s done, skaters Lester Kasai, Mike Rogers, Neal Hendrix, Pet Ngoho, Sean Goff and Steve Caballero will compete in the Masters Division, hitting the bowl at the age of 40 and above. 

 

As one of the original riders on the “Sadlands” team , Californian Lester Kasai dominated the Skate City Skatepark in Whittier, California in the 80s with his super stylish big airs and is the name behind the immensely popular Sims “Lester” pro model skateboard.

 

After his second battle with sarcoma cancer, life-long skateboarder Mike Rogers founded Grind for Life in 2003, an organisation that provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families. The Grind for Life skate team includes pro and five-time Grind for Life Champion, Alex Sorgente.

Los Angeles artist and co-founder of the art collective, Love and Guts, Pat Ngoho is the No. 1 ranked Master on the International Skateboarding Union (ISU) ranking system. He will put his skills to the test alongside British legend and icon Sean Goff. Referred to as the “Skater of the Century,” Steve Caballero (USA) is known for his difficult tricks and air variations he invented for vertical skating and for setting the long-standing record for the highest air achieved on a half-pipe.

See full list of competing athletes at http://www.australianopenofsurfing.com/2015/athletes

2015 HAOS Beach Bowl Pro Division Highlights
NAME	COUNTRY
Pedro Barros	BRA
Alessandro Sorgente	USA
Cory Juneau	USA
Greyson Fletcher	USA
Rune Glifberg	DEN
Renton Millar	AUS
Johnno Shwann	USA
Tom Schaar	USA
Sky Silijeg	USA
Danny Leon	SPA
Tas Micah Pappas	AUS
Lizzie Armanto	USA
Keegan Palmer	AUS
2015 HAOS Beach Bowl Master Division Highlights
Pat Ngoho	USA
Lester Kasai	USA
Mike Rogers	USA
Neal Hendrix	USA
Sean Goff	UK
Steve Caballero	USA