<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce that the <strong>Tweed Coast Pro</strong> in New South Wales will be added to the line-up for the <strong>Australian Grand Slam of Surfing</strong>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Australian Grand Slam of Surfing will be held in three different locations with the addition of the Tweed Coast in regional NSW to Margaret River Main Break, Western Australia and Gold Coast, Queensland, pending state border restrictions. The Tweed Coast Pro will be mobile and utilise locations at Cabarita Beach or Fingal Head. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The broadcast-only ‘strike mission’ style events, not designed for spectators due to COVID, will see WSL surfers based in Australia given just three days’ notice within the competition window, to travel to each location to compete over two days. Surf conditions will determine which location is surfed and when to make sure surfers compete in the best conditions possible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW <strong>John Barilaro</strong> said the Tweed Coast Pro will reignite pro surfing in 2020 as Australia’s top competitors battle the waves to win prize money for a charity of their choice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“COVID-19 has hit our coastal regions hard, especially the border community of Tweed, and this grand slam of surfing event will stimulate the local economy, give the local community and fans a much-needed morale boost and showcase beautiful Tweed to the world.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">WSL Asia Pacific General Manager <strong>Andrew Stark</strong> said that the WSL is excited to be running an Australian Grand Slam of Surfing event in regional NSW and getting behind the border town of the Tweed Coast. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It’s fantastic to secure the Tweed Coast Pro for the recently announced Australian Grand Slam of Surfing and we thank the NSW Government for supporting this important event,” said Stark. “The community of the NSW Tweed Coast has been heavily impacted during the COVID state border closures, so we want to show our support to the coastal town and its local businesses, and showcase the beautiful waves and surf culture of the region for an exciting new World Surf League event.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The WSL will be working closely with the local Juraki Surf Indigenous Community and the Cabarita Boardriders Club on the Tweed Coast Pro. Two local Best of the Best heats (male and female) will see local Tweed Coast surfers vying it out for a position in the main event draws, while four up-and-coming junior surfers from Juraki will surf-off in an Indigenous Expression Session, both of which will be broadcast live to WSL's global audience. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Australian Grand Slam of Surfing, part of The WSL Countdown Series, will see 24 of Australia’s best surfers (12 men and 12 women) go head to head in their respective divisions. 10 male CT competitors and 8 female CT competitors will be on standby for each stop, some looking to compete for the first time in 2020. The remaining spots in each field will be allocated to the highest ranked 2019 non-qualifying Australian surfers or selected wildcard surfers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adding to the high stakes, men’s and women’s overall series champions will each win $20,000AUD to donate to a charity of their choice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Australian Grand Slam of Surfing will run across the nation between September 1 and October 31 and be broadcast live on worldsurfleague.com, Channel 7 (7Plus), Fox Sports Australia (Kayo) and Sky Sport NZ. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>