It's just like the US Open of Surfing – minus the US part.Surfers down under are in for a big festival and surf party, as the Australian Open of Surfing goes down at Manly Beach in Sydney this week.
Surf industry giants Hurley joined forces with Billabong – a collaboration unheard of in the past – to pull together a sister event to the US Open of Surfing, just with an Australian accent.
Just like our big event, there will be big-name surfers, a skate bowl on the beach, big music acts, fashion, art, and booths on the sand. The look and feel of the free, nine-day festival is the same, but all set on a smaller stage. Orange County surfers on the World Tour are expected to compete at the 6-star event, including US Open of Surfing past winners Brett Simpson and Courtney Conlogue, as well as World Tour rookie Kolohe Andino.
CAN THE AUSTRALIAN VERSION COMPARE TO US OPEN OF SURFING? CLICK IMAGE FOR WILDNESS OF SURF CITY'S EVENT:
The event kicked off Friday (Australian time), and runs through Feb. 19 at Manly, which is known as the birthplace of Australian Surfing and just like Huntington Beach has a rich history of surf, hosting the first World Surfing Championships in 1964.
I chatted with Evan Slater, VP of marketing for Hurley, about the event before he head's over.
Q. How did this event come together?
Slater: There's a lot of excitement in the company around the US Open, and how that type of festival event can have an equal impact in other regions. Our strongest region internationally is Australia, and looking at the calendar we saw we could do it during the peak season. And on top of that, the government and tourism bureau was really behind it and wanted to see something happen. Manly is historical, it's where the Duke brought surfing to the shores, and there is a big legacy there.
Q.: What are some of the lessons learned Hurley will bring to the event?
A.: I think one of the biggest lessons learned is really planning properly and having the right people in place who know how to run the events. You can't wing a US Open. You have to really have to have the right people who know everything from site plan, to every zip tie. And we partnered with Billabong, which brings so much to the table. They have their roots there, and are event experts in their own right. It's combining their local expertise and ability to do big events, with our play book from the big US Open, to Manly.
Q.: This Hurley/Billabong partnership is rare – tell us more:
A.: The basic philosophy of an open event is that there are big partnerships going on. What's so bad with teaming up with a brand that is considered a competitor, and trying to make an event better? It moved quickly and easier than we all thought it would. Like I said, they brought a lot to the table and they do tons of events each year. The more power house companies you plug in, the better – as long as we're all getting along.
Q.: What are the differences between the US and Australian events?
A.: The sheer size of the US Open, 14 acres, is on a larger scale. There's probably about three times the number of people. The similarities are bigger than the differences. It's the peak of summer, on an iconic beach, there are surf, skate, art, and music components.
Q.: Who are some of the surfers signed up?
A.: We definitely have our all our key athletes there, and the other bonus is that Billabong will be able to rally all its top athletes as well. I don't think Kelly (Slater) will be there, but Parko (Joel Parkinson) to Taj (Burrow), Ace (Buchan), Brett (Simpson), Kolohe (Andino), Julian (Wilson) …
Q.: Have you guys run into any big challenges?
A.: With any big festival in a city environment, you're going to have to learn the local politics, work with the local government, and with every new city, there's a whole book of ordinances. Making sure the local population is listened to and excited about the event, that's important. We brought in big Australian bands, we definitely wanted to go that route.
Q.: Any other highlights of the event?
A.: Jon Rose and Waves for Water will be a part of this event. They are rallying around Bali and raising awareness for their lack of water – that is going to be a big messaging piece for us. It's a plastic water bottle free event, just like the US Open.
Information: The event will be broadcast live at australianopenofsurfing.com, but don't forget the event will be 16 hours behind our time.
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