At least "half of the women’s world tour of surfing" will compete at the Sydney Int'l Pro next month, adding "serious" int'l star power to the Sally Fitzgibbons-backed event, according to Amanda Lulham of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The women-only surfing event, "part of the world qualifying series, will boast one of the strongest fields seen outside world surf league events in Australia." It will also feature "the stars of the future and potentially the majority of female surfers who will create history" when Tokyo hosts the first ever surfing competition at an Olympic Games in '20. Fitzgibbons is one of eight women currently on the world tour "who have signed on for the inaugural event." Joining her are fellow world tour surfers Alessa Quizon and Coco Ho from Hawaii, Chelsea Tuach from Barbados, Sage Erickson from the U.S., and Australians Laura Enever, Keeley Andrew and Nikki Van Dijk. Heading the field of "surfers to watch" is junior world surfing champion Isabella Nichols and former world tour surfer Dimity Stoyle (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/15).
