GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality has stepped in to support the hosting of the inaugural Vic Bay Classic, which will conclude the 2019 City Surf Series (CSS).
The CSS was created by Accelerate Sport, a sports marketing agency that is responsible for hosting multiple World Surf League (WSL) qualifying series (QS) events along the South African coastline.
After the the Zigzag Durban Surf Pro was cancelled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, the team at Accelerate Sport worked tirelessly to add another event to the CSS calendar and show their commitment to both the athletes and staff by making sure that four events do take place during 2019 as planned. Thanks to the support from the George Municipality, Surfing South Africa (SSA) could confirm that the inaugural Vic Bay Classic will take place from 20 to 22 June.
With the flagship event on the 2019 City Surf Series calendar being the Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing, presented by Hurley from 13 to 17 June, professional athletes from South Africa and around the world will be able to road trip from Port Elizabeth to George and get to surf one of the best right hand point breaks along the Garden Route.
The Vic Bay Classic takes place during South Africa's winter and athletes will be expecting quality surf thanks to the annual winter swells that hits South Africa from May to July. The city of George will benefit from the influx of visitors to the event, which will be a huge contribution towards tourism and the local economy.
With Volkswagen being the official vehicle partner to the CSS, all event staff will be transported to the event in a variety of VW Kombis and Caddys.
With the aim to expose and further develop the sport of surfing which will be included in the 2020 Olympic Games, as well as attract foreign athletes to our shores, each City Surf Series event will feature WSL QS internationally rated men's, women's, pro junior men's and pro junior women's divisions.
Dedicated to uplifting and growing surf communities in all event locations, the CSS gives back to the local surf community by working alongside the national controlling body of the sport, Surfing South Africa (SSA), and incorporating SSA Learn to Surf initiatives which are designed to foster and encourage surfing among young people, regardless of their background.
A community beach clean-up forms part of each CSS event and members of the public are urged to get involved. All beach clean-up schedules will be posted on the CCS social media platforms.
2019 City Surf Series Event Schedule:
• Nelson Mandela Bay Surf Pro (18 to 20 April) - Port Elizabeth;
• Royal St Andrews Hotel Port Alfred Classic (22 to 24 April) - Port Alfred;
• Durban Surf Pro (10 to 12 May) - North Beach, Durban;
• VW SA Open of Surfing presented by Hurley (13 to 17 June) - Port Elizabeth;
• Vic Bay Classic (20 to 22 June) - Victoria Bay, George.
To enter a CCS event, please visit http://www.worldsurfleague.com/pages/member-management or contact the WSL Africa regional office on 021 534 5738.
About WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world's best surfing on the world's best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The league, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.
The WSL has been championing the world's best surfing since 1976, annually running in excess of 180 global events across the Men's and Women's Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The league has a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed men's and women's world champions across all divisions within the tour.
Showcasing the world's best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the free WSL app, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Jordy Smith, Tyler Wright, John John Florence, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Taylor Jensen, Honolua Blomfield, Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue battle on the most unpredictable and dynamic field of play of any sport in the world.
About Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is recognised by the Department of Sport and Recreation as the body governing surfing in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and the International Surfing Association (Isa).
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