The 2017 Australian Open of Surfing (AOS) today announces the first line-up of world-class surfers, skateboarders and BMX riders set to compete at Manly Beach this February 25 to March 5.
Australia's largest lifestyle and action sports festival will see an electrifying mix of the world's best athletes – including 2016 women's world surfing champion Tyler Wright and Aussie surfing superstar Julian Wilson – compete in women's and men's WSL-sanctioned QS6000 surf contests.
Joining them will be six of the world's top 10-ranked WSL female surfers including local favourites Sally Fitzgibbons and Laura Enever, and four of the world's top 20-ranked WSL male surfers including Josh Kerr, Jack Freestone and Jadson André.
Out of the water, some of the biggest names in park terrain skateboarding and BMX are confirmed for the first men's global qualifier stop of the 2017 Vans Park Series (VPS), held in conjunction with the inaugural VPS Oceania Continental Championships for men and women, and the debut of the Vans BMX Pro Cup series.
All three events will take place on a custom-designed, built-to-spec concrete course on location at Manly Beach.
With both surfing and skateboarding set to debut at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and BMX's future potential to evolve as an Olympic discipline, the 2017 AOS will set the global stage for promising gold medal talent as the world's best surfers, skateboarders and BMX riders compete at Sydney's iconic Manly Beach.
'The athlete line-up this year represents the best we've had since the Australian Open of Surfing was launched. The growth of the event and current roster of sponsors is reflected in the calibre of talent who will compete. We're in the final few weeks of countdown to this year's event and are looking forward to bringing the best ever Australian Open of Surfing to Sydney," said Simon Corkill, Vice President, Event Operations Australia.
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