SURFEST missed out on securing two-time world champion Mick Fanning but organisers were still celebrating yesterday after confirming that the top two female surfers and the No.2- and No.3-ranked men would be competing in the event next month.
Australians Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow, the world No.2 and No.3 respectively, will headline the $155,000 Surfest Men’s Pro from March 12 to 17 at Merewether Beach.
Hawaii’s defending world champion, Carissa Moore, and Australian world No.2 Sally Fitzgibbons will headline the $40,000 Women’s Classic.
The announcement was tempered by news late yesterday that Fanning would not compete in Newcastle’s six-star event on the second-tier World Qualifying Series.
Fanning media manager Ronnie Blakey said his client had family and sponsorship commitments after the World Championship Tour event on the Gold Coast starting on February 25.
‘‘It’s an event he always wants to get to,’’ Blakey said. ‘‘He’s got a good relationship with the contest and [Surfest organiser] Warren Smith but unfortunately he just can’t pull it off, because of his other commitments.’’
It follows Surfest’s near miss in securing superstar Kelly Slater, who told organisers last week that he would skip the event because of sponsorship commitments in the US.
Smith was ecstatic with the event’s confirmed big-name starters yesterday.
‘‘It’s fantastic news. We’re over the moon,’’ Smith said.
‘‘To have Carissa, the No.1 in the world – she was only doing championship tour events in Australia – so to have her coming, and Sally, is fantastic. Then to have Joel and Taj is unbelievable.
‘‘There would have only been one better and that would have been Kelly but that’s unfortunate. We thought we had him over the line but it didn’t quite work out.
‘‘But these guys aren’t going to let us down, they’re going to put on a show and a half.’’
Smith had not given up hope of luring Stephanie Gilmore to Surfest despite the four-time women’s world champion possibly having sponsorship commitments.
He said organisers had achieved their goal regardless of Gilmore’s availability.
‘‘Stephanie we don’t have yet. We will know as of February 14,’’ Smith said. ‘‘Our main aim was to lock in the world champion and world No.2 as No.1 and two seeds, and in the men’s to get No.2 and No.3, and we’ve done that.
‘‘Joel hasn’t competed in the event for a long, long time and to have him leading our event with Taj is pretty awesome for us.’’
Entries for the open events close on Tuesday.
Smith said there were already more than 70 entries for the women’s contest, which will have 60 competitors, and the men’s entries were over 120 for the 144-strong event.
Entries have closed for the junior pro events, in which world junior No.2 Philippa Anderson will be top female seed in the women and fellow Merewether surfer Ryan Callinan No.2 seed in the men’s.
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