The world at their feet
High noon at Snapper Rocks in Australia as 2018 WSL begins
THE highly anticipated Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro will usher in a new season for the World Surf league when the top 32 men and top 16 women kick start their world title campaigns at the iconic right-hand point break, Snapper Rocks, on the Gold Coast of Australia.
With a promising outlook of waves for the March 11-22 event window, the event is expected to commence with Round One action tomorrow.
“At this point we’ll look for head high to overhead surf (tomorrow), possibly up to a couple of feet overhead on sets, with moderate side shore winds, gradually easing through Monday,” confirmed Surfline’s lead forecaster Kevin Wallis.
With squeaky clean slates and new goals for 2018 the world’s best surfers will be eager to make their marks early in this year’s world title races.
Reigning world champion Hawaiian John John Florence, who finished equal third alongside Brazilian Gabriel Medina in last year’s season opener, is yet to win on the Gold Coast but his desire to do so was made clear earlier this week.
“I’ve been warming up here and have a good understanding of the wave,” commented Florence, “I want my surfing to keep getting better and it definitely can. I haven’t won here on the Gold Coast, which adds to my hunger.”
Florence also remains a firm favourite to successfully defend his world title. Should the 25-year-old achieve this remarkable feat, he will become only the third surfer in history to do so, joining Mark Richards and the late Andy Irons as the only world champions to win their first three world titles in back-to-back fashion.
Florence was also the only natural footer to feature on the podium at Snapper Rocks last year. Australian goofy footers Owen Wright and Matt Wilkinson snatched first and second respectively while Medina finished equal third with Florence after both bowed out in the semi-finals.
South Africa’s hopes for gold will be pinned on Jordy Smith’s broad shoulders as the world No 4-ranked surfer is matched with Americans Conner Coffin and Pat Gudauskas in his heat opener.
Smith will enjoy the full support from his family Down Under, and will want to return to the form that saw him finish on the podium in 2010 through 2012 with a runner-up place and two third places.
In recent years Smith has failed to progress past round five with several equal ninth and 25th place finishes hampering his world title bids at a break where nothing less than a quarter-final finish or better would be expected of him.
Brazilian Rookie Jesse Mendes will have a baptism of fire when he paddles out into his first heat in the big leagues. The lanky goof footer is matched with surfing legends Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater who share 15 world titles and six event wins between between.
Former world champion Joel Parkinson, another twotime winner of the event, is matched with Jeremy Flores (France) and rising star Yago Dora (Brazil). For live updates visit worldsurfleague.com