We are proud and excited to welcome another year of our partnership with Surfest Newcastle

We recognise the contribution Surfest Newcastle has made to the Hunter Region, as it embodies a celebration of locale and community, drawing more than 600 male and female athletes from the Asia-Pacific region.

After working together for the past seven years, we are continuing our partnership to support the next generation of local surfers, through the Westfield Encouragement award. This award, is provided to three youth surfers who represent not only the best in surfing talent but also the spirit of the Newcastle community, to support financially towards future surfing competitions across Australia.

In 2024, the winners of the Westfield Encouragement award were Kade Kelly, Kyla Renes and Ocean Lancaster.

About Surfest Newcastle

SURFEST Newcastle, Australia originated in 1985 when Newcastle’s movers and shakers were desperately trying to rid the city of its industrial image and showcase the beauty of Newcastle’s beaches and surf breaks to people from outside of the region. Yes, that’s right – Surfest began as the richest professional surfing competition on the planet. In more than three decades since those pioneering days, Surfest has become Australia’s largest surfing festival.

Until 2006, Surfest set up its HQ at Newcastle beach, but moved permanently to the loved, iconic and revered Merewether beach in 2007. The fabled right-handers that peel down the rock and sand bottom off Merewether beach attract both competitors and spectators. It’s at Merewether that the competition’s patron Mark Richards honed the dance that would see him win four world titles – more than any other male competitor in the world, except for the ‘Floridian freak’ and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater (who, incidentally, claimed a Surfest crown in 2004). MR – or the mayor of Merewether as locals admiringly refer to him – was named at Surfing Australia’s 50th anniversary as the most influential Australian surfer from 1963-2013.

But it’s not just all about pro-surfers. What separates Surfest from many other professional surfing events is the emphasis placed upon community and grass roots surfing competition. In the past few years, Surfest has stretched its wings to run events in all three local government areas that cover the Hunter coastline – Newcastle, Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie.

The 37th Surfest in 2023 will host nine different surfing events attracting male and female surfers from across the Asia-Pacific region.