PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
Printed on 100% recycled paper
WED 19 NOV 2014
Turn over for your entertainment guide
Belmont Central – The heart of Belmont p.5
Surfest expansion
Redhead chosen as iconic event heads to Lake Macquarie for the first time
Sellout crowd enthralled
Transport interchange approved p.4
A-League 2014/15 Coach slams Jets’ lack of effort p.29
AMELIA PARROTT
@amelia_parrott
A
s Newcastle’s premier international surf event, Surfest, gears up for its thirtieth year of competition in 2015, organisers have announced that for the first time, Lake Macquarie will take part in the action. Redhead beach will play host to a brand new event, the Surfest Longboard Challenge, on February 14 and 15. Event chief, Warren Smith said organisers had long dreamt of expanding the event. “To expand Surfest into Lake Macquarie is something we’ve been looking forward to doing for a while now,” he said. “This event will enhance the reputation of Redhead beach as a vibrant and consistent surfing location, while adding significant economic returns for the local economy.” Lake Macquarie Mayor, Jodie Harrison said holding the longboard competition at one of Lake Macquarie’s most iconic breaks would help showcase the region to an international audience of millions. 2015 will also see the event will expand north into Port Stephens. The first event of the three-week calendar will be the Wildcard Trials at Birubi beach on Sunday, February 1. Surfest will culminate at Merewether Beach with the Burton Automotive Pro six-star ASP competition taking place from February 16 to 22.
Merewether-based pro surfer, Philippa Anderson, Lake Macquarie Mayor, Jodie Harrison, and four-time world champion surfer, Mark Richards The event will bring together the world’s best male surfers, vying for the prestigious Mark
Richards trophy and a share of US$150,000 in prizemoney.
ADVERTISEMENT
::
The Rolling Stones