<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2020, the WSL revealed a new format for 2021, which included creating distinct seasons between the QS (the regionalised development tier), the Challenger Series (the global battleground for Championship Tour qualification) and the Championship Tour (the world’s best surfers competing for the World Title).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The new tour structure will provide a more streamlined and affordable career pathway for WSL athletes by allowing up-and-coming surfers to develop closer to home without financially overleveraging themselves. Athletes will compete in their regional QS tour in hopes of qualifying for the Challenger Series (CS), and ultimately the Championship Tour, which will reduce the economic pressure on surfers and their sponsors, as well as provide increased opportunities to celebrate local stars.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The QS will run from January through to July 2021 and determine who has qualified for the CS, which will run from August through to December 2021. Each region will have an allocation of surfers that can qualify for the CS through their regional tour. Athletes will be able to roll over points from 2020 QS events into the current season. Australia/Oceania will receive an allocation of ten men’s and eight women’s spots onto the Challenger Series based on the regional QS rankings. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said the NSW Government is proud to support the Great Lakes Pro, which has been a highlight on the summer events calendar for the past five years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“After a challenging year, I’m delighted to welcome back the Great Lakes Pro – the event plays a significant role in not only showcasing our spectacular surfing beaches but also boosting local businesses with tourism dollars,” Mr Bromhead said. “The Great Lakes are looking forward to again welcoming competitors and spectators to Boomerang Beach this February for another incredible event.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local Boomerang Beach Boardriders Club wildcards are <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/ross-cadden" target="_blank">Ross Cadden</a> and <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/charlize-everitt" target="_blank">Charlize Everitt</a>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and International surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Great Lakes Pro pres. by Surfers Rescue 24/7</strong>, stop 1 on the 2021 Australian Qualifying Series leg will run from <strong>February 16 to 19</strong>. Head to <a href="https://www.worldsurfleague.com/" target="_blank">www.worldsurfleague.com</a> or the free <a href="https://worldsurfleague.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c75f4cf1e19118d57c2f963e&id=916159ebeb&e=2ee39f75b0" target="_blank">WSL App</a> for more information and to watch the event LIVE.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>2021 Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series Event Schedule</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Event 1</strong>: Great Lakes Pro (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mens-great-lakes-pro-2021" target="_blank">men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-great-lakes-pro-2021" target="_blank">women's</a>), Boomerang Beach, Tuesday 16 – Friday 19 February 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Event 2</strong>: Port Stephens Pro (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mens-port-stephens-pro-2021" target="_blank">men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-port-stephens-pro-2021" target="_blank">women's</a>), Birubi Beach, Sunday 21 – Tuesday 23 February 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Event 3</strong>: Mad Mex Maroubra Pro (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mens-mad-mex-maroubra-pro-2021" target="_blank">men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-mad-mex-maroubra-pro-2021" target="_blank">women's</a>), Maroubra Beach, Friday 26 – Sunday 28 February 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Event 4</strong>: Vissla Central Coast Pro (<a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mens-vissla-central-coast-pro-2021" target="_blank">men's</a> & <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-sisstrevolution-central-coast-pro-2021" target="_blank">women's</a>), Avoca Beach, Tuesday 2 – Sunday 7 March 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>The 2021 Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Brands/vissla" target="_blank">Vissla</a>, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Mid Coast Council, Port Stephens Council, Mad Mex, <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Brands/sisstrevolution" target="_blank">Sisstrevolution</a>, Middle Rock Holiday Park, Moby’s Beachside Retreat, Avoca Beach Hotel, WSL and <a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Associations/surfing-nsw" target="_blank">Surfing NSW</a>.</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>About the WSL</strong> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world's best surfing. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world's largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>