Local pair bow out of WSL Challenger event at Newcastle

JAN Juc surfing duo Tully Wylie and Xavier Huxtable have finished their 2026 World Surf League Challenger Series with tough eliminations in the Newcastle Surfest.

Wylie was unable to progress past the Round of 80 at the world tour event, while Huxtable edged into the Round of 64 but then had a narrow loss to Queenslander Alister Reginato and Holland’s Oliver Zietz.

Following the last event of the Challenger Series for 2026, Huxtable landed in 17th, narrowly missing out on a maiden berth on the Championship Tour.

 

His top 20 position is the highest in his career and puts him in good stead for another go at the Challenger Series in 2027.

Wylie did enough to land in the top 100 – the first time he has achieved the feat.

He will go back to the drawing board and look to lock in a spot on the Challenger Series through a strong Australia/Oceania Qualifying Series season.

Both surfers will now turn their attention to the Rip Curl Pro Trials at Bells Beach on 28 March – an event the pair have succeeded at before.

 

Huxtable will be looking to go back to back, while Wylie will be chasing his first victory since 2024.

On the women’s side of the field, Ellie Harrison made the quarter-finals of the Surfest, seeing her fall just shy of the Championship Tour cut-off line.

Her 11th place finish is the highest of her career and will give her plenty of confidence heading into next year.