Australian Open Of Surfing Returns To Manly Beach In 2014

The Australian Open of Surfing will return to Sydney's iconic Manly Beach. ASP Australasia, Hurley, IMG and Destination NSW on behalf of the New South Wales Government in partnership with the support of Manly Council, made the official announcment on Wednesday. The event, taking place from Feb. 8-16, will see Hurley become the title sponsor, marking a two-year deal with the event being rebranded as the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing. The event is expected to attract an audience in excess of 175,000 people over the nine-day event. The inaugural event held in Feb. '12, which included surfing, skateboarding, art and concerts, attracted crowds of more than 166,000 people to Manly Beach and showcased both Manly and Sydney to a global audience (ASP).