The first two WSL Championship Tour events at Bells Beach and Margaret River had their moments, but what happened this weekend at the Gold Coast Pro made them easily forgettable. While Bells and Margaret battled poor winds and prolonged lay days, Snapper Rocks delivered non-stop action and perfect waves, needing just the first four days of the waiting period to crown champions.
A beach packed with ravenous surf fans got to witness the hometown hero, Steph Gilmore, win her 34th CT event. High-quality surf throughout produced 12 excellent heats and 9-point rides from Gilmore, Filipe Toledo, Ethan Ewing, Liam O’Brien, and Samuel Pupo.
Unlike the first two events of the season, the Snapper machine produced perfect, sand-bottom rights, which made me fantasize about how damn fun it would be to surf that wave without a crowd — knowing very well it will never happen. Gilmore, the local, called the conditions “pumping” and said that Snapper “delivered the absolute perfect goods.” Good waves kept me tuned in, and I’m sure the WSL’s viewership stats reflect how much more exciting it was for fans, both on the beach and online.
And there’s more to look forward to — a new, rippable left point in Raglan, New Zealand, is debuting on the CT in just 11 days. The tour has long been devoid of a performance left-hander so it will be interesting to see creative goofy-footers like Yago Dora, Gabriel Medina, and Erin Brooks work on that canvas.
