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Image 1 for The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic  QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

Happy snaps from Surfing NSW

Image 2 for The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic  QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

Image 3 for The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic  QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

Image 4 for The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic  QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

Image 5 for The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic  QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

The Okanui Manly WSL Longboard Classic QS – wrap & photos from the Bells qualifier

10 May 23


News release from Surfing NSW: As the second and final stop on the LQS, Manly offered clean two-foot surf similar to the conditions at the Noosa Longboard Pro held earlier this year.

Kai Ellice-Flint (Byron Bay) and Tully White (Manly) claimed victory at the 2023 Manly Longboard Classic presented by Okanui, World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Qualifying Series event (LQS)

Manly local, Tully White who has already qualified for the 2023 Longboard World Tour and took out the female division today with grace and style as she leveraged her local knowledge and passion for the sport to her advantage. White dominated every heat, walking toes to the nose with a win after win from the Quarter Finals to the Final. This will be White’s second campaign on the world stage, with the first stop at Bells Beach in August this year. 

“Although I’m already on the 2023 WLT, it’s always nice to have such a big event in my backyard and to practice the WSL format in as many heats as possible. I’m really looking forward to the World Tour and want to say a massive congratulations to all the finalist’s today, it was a great heat.” White said. 

White’s talent has been one to watch as many anticipate her first WLT victory in 2023, which would override her current competitive career highlight as third place in the 2022 GWM Sydney Surf Pro WLT.

Kai Ellice-Flint, the smooth natural footer based in Byron Bay scored first place in the final against confirmed 2023 World Tour competitor and Manly local Declan Wyton, by just 0.40 total score difference. Every time the judges looked up from their scoring tablets, they would witness Kai seamlessly gliding across the face of the wave, weaving, cross-stepping and noseriding his way to a 7.17 and a 6.70 score count in the final. 

The event’s top scores were confirmed before the north easterly picked up. During the Semi Final Heat 1, Declan Wyton locked down a near perfect ride with a 9.33, followed by Kai Ellice-Flint in Heat 2 finishing with a 9.17. Lara Murphy swerved onto a 7.50 ride in the Female Quarter Final Heat 4, cementing this as the top score across the female heats.

Roisin Carolan & Max Weston qualify for Bells

The Manly Longboard Classic presented by Okanui also had two 2023 WLT Wild Cards (one male and one female) to confirm from today’s results. Based on the total LQS rankings from the Noosa and Manly events, and with the consideration at Declan Wyton and Tully White who have both secured their spot on the WLT, Max Weston (Pittwater) and Roisin Carolan (Byron Bay) will officially compete at Bells Beach in August as the first World Tour Longboard event of the season kicks off.

The Manly Longboard Classic presented by Okanui was proudly supported by the NSW Government, Okanui, Bennett Surf and Surfboard Souls Manly.

 - NEWS FROM BELLA HILL, FOR SURFING NSW



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