Surfest co-founder Warren Smith says the 40th anniversary of the Newcastle event was unlike any other, filled with raw emotion as the World Surf League Challenger Series concluded. The final stop of the season saw dreams made and broken, with 12 Championship Tour spots confirmed over the week at Merewether Beach.
Alister Reginato and Alyssa Spencer claimed the titles, but the real drama unfolded as surfers like Liam O'Brien and Sophie McCulloch experienced contrasting fates—one qualifying for the CT, the other narrowly missing out. Smith told the Newcastle Herald, 'I never imagined the emotion we've seen from the athletes... It made me so proud that we can present the last event.'
WSL contest director Will Hayden-Smith noted that Newcastle has now 'done everything' in surfing, from low-level QS to world tour events. The 2026 edition marked the end of the Challenger Series era at Surfest, with the event locked in for the same timeslot in March 2027 as part of a new-look WSL calendar.
Local surfer Ryan Callinan, eliminated early, hopes to earn a wildcard for the upcoming CS after being cut from the world tour in 2025. He said, 'While Surfest is locked in to be the last event, there's going to be a lot of eyes on it, lots of drama, lots of intensity.'
The Championship Tour begins at Bells Beach over Easter (April 1-11), with five Australian male graduates including Morgan Cibilic, who qualified after making the round of 16 at Surfest. Sally Fitzgibbons was the sole Australian female to earn promotion, joining Surfest winner Spencer in the main draw.
