The first WCT (World Championship Tour) event is starting this week, the Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Competitions at Snapper Rocks in Queensland, Australia. The waiting period for both competitions starts on 11th March.
If you haven't submitted your Fantasy Surfer Team yet then you've got until the first heat enters the water to pick the surfers who you think will get you off to a quick start in the league this year! Join our league by entering the code BGSS18 under Private Clubs. If you haven't heard about our Fantasy Surfer competition then check out our featured blog post to get the lowdown and join in for FREE to win some stellar prizes!
Snapper Rocks is a long point-break which breaks over an aritificial reef, the wave is made up of a number of different sections, when conditions are right this incredible reef can deliver some of the longest rides on tour!
As this is one of the more performance orientated waves on the tour, you want to pick surfers for your team who can throw down a big turn, sneak into the odd tube and in the last few years the aerialists have done particularly well here.
Another factor to think about at Snapper is that it's a wave that you need to have 'dialled'.
When we talk about having a wave 'dialled' in surfing terms it means that surfers understand the different ways that a wave can break on all conditions, what to expect throughout the length of a ride and how to pick the very best waves on offer. On a wave like Snapper, that means local Aussies who've grown up surfing here can have a huge advantage, especially if the conditions become a bit more jumbled, historically surfers like Mick Fanning & Joel Parkinson, who've grown up surfing here, have done really well - maybe something to think about when picking your team, especially as this will be Mick's very last WCT event at his home-break.
Whatever the conditions, it's always worth tuning in to watch the action go down at the QuikPro, as it's the opening event of the season you get to see what the rookies on tour look like, how the old boys are surfing and who's in form for the rest of the season. On numerous occasions the winner at Snapper goes on to win the World Title!
This year you can watch all the action on Facebook via the WSL page, you can tune in to www.worldsurfleague.com to watch all the action on the Heat Analyser and make sure to keep an eye on our own Facebook page for updates as we go!
BGSS Top Pick - Keep an eye on reigning world-champ John-John Florence to make a big impact on this opening event of the season. For the ladies we're backing Steph Gilmore to hang on to her title at her local spot.
Reigning Champs - Owen Wright & Stephanie Gilmore