Considine and Conroy express excitement for local WSL event

Both surfers have tasted state and international success and will be hoping to clinch a wildcard spot into the WSL event. Photo: NATHAN RIVALLAND

TOP Victorian longboarders Bea Conroy and Ben Considine have expressed their excitement at the announcement of a World Longboard Tour event on their doorstep at Bells Beach in 2023.

This month, the World Surf League announced Victoria’s newest major surfing contest, the Bells Beach Longboard Classic, would run from August 30-September 2, 2023 and see 48 of the world’s best longboarders do battle including two local and two national wildcards.

As former state title holders in the open longboard and open logger divisions, both Considine and Conroy will be looking to assert their skillset in the two qualifying state rounds in March and April 2023 to go one step closer to the main event.

Bea Conroy in action during the Victorian Longboarding Titles. Photo: KATEY SHEARER.

The pair said they couldn’t be more excited to have the event in Victoria for the next two years.

“I’m so motivated and inspired to show off the talent that we have down in Victoria to the rest of the world,” Conroy said.

“It’s super exciting to have the contest be able to come down to Bells and I’m really pumped to give it a shot,” Considine said.

“It’s also a fantastic thing for the Surf Coast community, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Both surfers spoke at length about the amount of longboard talent coming through, and how it would not be an easy feat trying to get the hotly contested local wildcard spots.

“There is amazing talent scattered everywhere but the main hubs are Point Impossible and Boings,” Conroy said.

“Everyone is out there young and old and all pushing each other to surf better.

“It’s a really constructive environment where we can all bounce off each other.”

Mr Considine agreed with Conroy and added his support.

Ben Considine in action during the 2022 Winter Classic surfing event at Torquay. Photo: GLENN BARRY

“There’s been another really strong contingent of longboard surfers coming through for the last five years,” he said.

“There’s talent coming through this way in Torquay, there’s crew from the Mornington Peninsula and across the state.

“I think there will be plenty of good surfers in both sides of the draw to watch out for and there’ll be a tough set of trials leading into the main event.

“I can’t wait to see how the winners from the trials go on the world stage!

The Bells Beach Longboard Classic will be one of four events on the 2023 WSL World Longboard Tour.

To see more, head to worldsurfleague.com