Some of Pro Surfing's royalty quietly slipped into Manly on Tuesday night to prepare to announce news that Manly Beach would once again be on the map of Pro Surfing.  Hurley founder Bob Hurley, along with Billabong CEO Derek O'Neil, announced that Manly will host the Australian Open of Surfing during February  2012.  The event will offer a $500,000 prize pool and span Surfing, Skateboarding and Fashion in a festival of action sports.

Manly has a rich history of hosting world class surfing events since the first World Championship of Surfing in 1964 where 40,000 spectators saw Midget Farrelly and Phylis O'Donell claim the tittles.   The Surfabout contest visited Manly briefly in the late 1970's (check out Larry Blair's classic North Steyne tube to beat Wayne Lynch in the '78 Final) and the Coke Classic was hosted at Manly in the '90's.

To see what the World's best surfers can make of Manly's summer wave offering will be something to look forward to.

Read the ASP press release here.