Dane Reynolds scoops Snapper wildcard

You already knew this would happen, but confirmation’s always a treat: Dane Reynolds, 27 and from Ventura, California, is officially a wildcard for the 2013 Quiksilver Pro, Snapper Rocks. Which is the best kind of news for fans. Last year, he was gifted wildcards into Snapper, Pipe and France, the latter of which saw him in the final against Kelly Slater. In round one at Snapper, Dane will either face Kelly once again, or world champ Joel Parkinson.

“As a wildcard you’re automatically the lowest seed in the contest so you get a really tough draw in the first three rounds which makes it really exciting but also really difficult,” he said. “Those guys have a crazy heat win record. They’re on top for a reason and you definitely have to surf your best to even have a chance. Joel would definitely be a fun heat but I’d like to surf against Kelly too, that’s always an experience.”

So , what d’you reckon Dane digs about Snapper? “I like waves that you can get a score by getting barreled, or putting together a series of turns or by doing one or two big tricks. Snapper Rocks is perfect for all of those things.”

And, what’s been making him excited to surf of late? “I was watching a lot of John John and got super inspired by his video and trying to learn some of the air stuff he’s doing that I hadn’t ever really tried. More recently I started going back and watching stuff I liked as a kid, more traditional style surfing from Andy and Kelly. That’s been really cool. No-one is attacking waves like Andy these days.”

But what everyone wants to know, the question we all wish Dane would scream yes to: Does he plan to return to tour? “Never say never, but it’s unlikely in the near future.”

Well, his presence at Snapper is good enough for now.