Waves of joy were felt on Saturday when Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced that Newcastle would host the world's best surfers at an event in April.
Mr Barilaro made the announcement at Newcastle's temple of surfing - Merewether beach. It's fair to say that everyone who attended the press conference was "stoked", to use a term familiar to surfers.
They weren't stoked purely because the likes of Kelly Slater, John John Florence, Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright will be competing at Merewether. There was a sense of pride that the event will be the opening round of the "Australian leg" of World Surf League's 2021 championship tour.
The fact that Newcastle is able to stage this event, while the likes of California and Hawaii can't because of COVID-19, is another example of how lucky we have been thanks to an exceptional public health response.
The event runs from April 1 to 11 but the surfers will be in town for a week prior after a 14-day quarantine in Sydney.
There is a sense that this event offers hope of a return to a level of normality, after a year of dealing with the pandemic. Many events have been cancelled over the past year, impacting the economy, society and culture.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the event was "a massive coup for Newcastle".
"It will also be wonderful for local businesses," she said, adding that the event was expected to be worth at least $15 million to the local economy.
Newcastle surfing great Mark Richards was particularly pleased that five local surfers will get to compete on the world tour on their home beach, casting his mind back to the 1985 BHP Steel International that marked the beginning of Surfest.
"We had the best male and female surfers from all over the world compete. This will be like that," he said.
The event provides a boost for Newcastle's surfing community after Surfest was cancelled. Victorian authorities on Sunday made it clear they would not lose the top flight event in the long term without a fight, which is to be expected given their long tenure as hosts.
Nevertheless, the spirit of Surfest will be present in April as its founder, Warren Smith, organises the world tour event. Fans will be allowed in under COVID-19 protocols. For now, it's time to enjoy the ride while it lasts.
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