WHO’S YOUR PICK IN QUIKSILVER PRO?

THE Quiksilver men’s and Roxy women’s trials competition at Snapper Rocks set to start Saturday is a gladiatorstyle gnarly battle where only the winners qualify to take a place among the world’s best.

It has to be one of the hardest fought trials to bust down the door.

Even the Pipeline trials allocate first and second into the main event, while back in the day in surfing’s professional infancy, it was the 16 trialists meeting up with the established top 16.

This year’s Snapper Rocks trials line-up has one of the most talented of a World Surf League trials elimination.

The trialists are allocated through representations such as local boardriders, the Snapper Surfriders Club, Surfing Queensland, the host association, WSL Australia, WSL International and the Sponsors pick.

I will focus on the local talent – the women’s field has 12 competitors and will be cut to four in the final.

Piper Harrison, of the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club, is the new Australian under-18 women’s champion but has won her spot as the Queensland Open women’s champ.

Originally from Gunnamatta, Victoria, Piper and her family moved to Coolangatta three years ago and is now one of the women standouts at Snapper.

Amber Dodds, of Sunrise Beach on the Sunshine Coast, is Queensland’s under-18 girls champion.

Kobie Enright is the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club MEN

1. Mick Fanning

2. Joel Parkinson

3. John John Florence

4. Gabriel Medina

5. Other

WOMEN

1. Stephanie Gilmore

2. Carissa Moore

3. Tyler Wright

4. Sally Fitzgibbons.

5. Others

choice and has been flaring on the WQS, winning back to back at Maroubra and Burleigh and runner-up at Cabarita.

Zahli Kelly from Tweed Heads could be the ultimate dark horse.

The men’s field comprises 16 competitors that will be narrowed down to a four-man final.

Mitch Parkinson earned his spot as Surfing Queensland’s QCC (Queensland Championship Circuit) winner.

Mitch would like to win his way into a match-up against his older cousin, 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson who won back in 2002, the first year it became a World Tour event.

Alister Reginato is from the North Shore Boardriders of the Sunshine Coast and won his spot by taking out the Queensland under-18 title.

Sheldon Simkus, from the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club, is their local choice.

Together with Mitch, they are the standouts behind the Rock at Snapper and if Sheldon gets the waves could prove to be the new Cooly kid on the block.

Trials start on Saturday with the main event of the Quiksilver Pro men’s and Roxy Pro women’s on Sunday, swell permitting. It takes five days to run off both events with a 10-day window for best possible surf.