North Steyne Boardrider, 21 year old, George Pittar, has just achieved a lifelong dream to compete on the World Championship (Dream) Tour (WCT) for 2025.
With only 10 spots up for grabs on the WCT from the crowded second tier, Challenger Series, it was always going to be tough for George. After some great results earlier in the year, including a 3rd place on the Gold Coast and an excellent showing as a wildcard in the WCT events at Bells and Margaret River, George’s recent performances meant he needed other results to fall his way.
And fall they did.
Andy Lye from Dripping Wet at North Steyne remembers George as a young grom. “There’s been a talented group of kids surfing out the front for a number of years now, but George always had that special something. So we sponsored him back then, before he eventually got picked up by Aloha and DHD.”
One of those local groms was Winter Vincent, a member of the Queenscliff Boardriders Club (QBC). Despite years of competition between the fierce rival clubs it was Winter who paved the way for George to make it on next year’s Dream Tour. George needed Winter to defeat the Brazilians in his heat so that George’s position was secure. A North Steyne Boardrider at the mercy of a Queenscliff Boardrider – who woulda thought! Winter would go on to win his heat convincingly. Murray Fraser (Sprout Daily) who has photographed these young guys in the water since before they could stand up on a board commented on the irony. “It was so good to see how Winter fought hard in his heat, to not only win it, but to ensure that George’s place on the Dream Tour was solidified.”
Manly’s Richie Lovett is one of only a handful of local surfers who have made the Dream Tour in the last twenty years. Speaking to MO this morning Richie shared how George qualifying is so good for Manly and the Northern Beaches.
“My feeds been blowing up all night. Everyone is so excited for George and for the Northern Beaches having such a great young surfer make the tour.”
“My feeds been blowing up all night. Everyone is so excited for George and for the Northern Beaches having such a great young surfer make the tour. Former local CT surfers like Kai (Otten), Dayyan (Neve) and myself have been super supportive of George and we’re all so proud of him. At the end of the day Queenscliff and North Steyne is all part of one beach and everyone is so pumped.”
Lovett will surf in the ‘over 50s’ category this Saturday at Manly’s Inaugural ‘Pipe Masters’ between QBC and NSB. (The ‘pipe’ refers to the stormwater pipe half way down the beach – the historic dividing line between the two clubs). But don’t expect a repeat of any Vincent-esque favours…
The World Surf League is divided into various tours. The Dream Tour consists of 32 men and 16 women from around the world. The next level down is the Challenger Series with 115 men each competing for a top 10 place to qualify for the Dream Tour. Below that is the Qualifying Series which includes hundreds of surfers divided into 7 regions worldwide. With only 10 spots up for grabs to break onto the Dream Tour, it was always going to be tough for George– incredible effort.
