Lake Mac lands final WSL Junior event for 2023

Published on 08 June 2023

Oceania’s best junior surfers are set to flock to Lake Macquarie’s Redhead Beach in November for the inaugural Let’s Surf Lake Mac Pro Junior.

Scheduled for the weekend of November 4-5, the contest will be the final event on the 2023 World Surf League’s (WSL) Australia/Oceania Pro Junior Series.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said the event would showcase the beautiful coastline on offer in Lake Mac.

It would also provide an economic boost to local businesses.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming some of our region’s best young surfers and their families,” Cr Fraser said.

“I’m sure they will enjoy what Lake Mac has to offer and we welcome the economic benefits the event will provide.”

November’s event will supplant the Lake Mac Pro Junior, held in recent years as part of Surfest.

Asia Pacific WSL tour manager Ty Sorati said the timing of the event made it critical for aspiring junior surfers seeking a future in professional surfing.

“The Let's Surf Lake Mac Pro Junior will be an important event in the WSL Australia/Oceania Pro Junior series. It will be the last event on the calendar for the competitors before the World Junior Championships,” he said.

“The WSL appreciates the continued support from Lake Macquarie City Council for junior surfing and we look forward to another great event in the city.”

Event organiser Warren Smith said the timing added a “terrific” bonus to the inaugural event.

“As will the ability of the contest to go mobile if conditions mean we need to move away from Redhead Beach,” he said.

“I’ve been working with Lake Mac for many years now on presenting surfing events, and this new program is a great direction to showcase the beaches of the region, and to provide a platform for the best junior surfers in Australia and Oceania.”