WSL Concedes To Sand Gods: “Snapper’s Out, Burleigh’s In”

Just when you thought the Superbank was making its long-overdue comeback to the main tour, Mother Nature threw a spanner — or, more accurately, a cyclone — into the once finely tuned sand works of Snapper Rocks.

Following our reports of the infinite chasm once known as Snapper Rocks, the World Surf League has officially pulled the pin on running the 2025 Gold Coast Pro in Coolangatta. Instead, they’re packing up the scaffolding and heading a few clicks north to Burleigh Heads — another iconic Queensland venue with plenty of chest-thumping history.

“Snapper Rocks is one of the most perfect waves in the world, and this was an extremely difficult decision to shift locations,” said WSL APAC President, Andrew Stark. “Our priority is to ensure world-class conditions for our athletes and fans, and given the state of the bank at Snapper Rocks and the lack of time to replenish the sand, we are confident this is the right decision to ensure the success of the 2025 Gold Coast CT. We are fortunate on the Gold Coast to have another world-class, right-hand point break just up the coast that has a rich history of running elite surfing events, so we will relocate this year’s event to Burleigh Heads. We look forward to celebrating this event in a community steeped in surfing history. We absolutely look forward to returning to Snapper Rocks in 2026.” 

Indeed, Burleigh is no consolation prize. Nestled beneath a lava rock headland, the picturesque, cobblestone-covered point helped write the playbook on competitive surfing back in 1977 during the Stubbies Surf Classic, where the world’s first man-on-man heats took place. It’s since pumped out perennial Aussie talents spanning generations — Rabbit, Munga Barry, Jay “Bottle” Thompson, Liam O’Brien, and of course, Rasta.

On its day — and there are quite a few — Burleigh can dish out freight-train, spinning barrels just metres from the crowd on its grassy green hill.

The wave itself breaks across three main sections. Sharkies, out the back, is the heaviest — working with raw SE swells and unloading into a steep, fast, and often hollow take-off area. Inside that, The Cove offers square barrel sections when the wind’s right — short, punchy, and occasionally linking up with a down-the-line section waiting to be carved and belted to smithereens. And then there’s The Point: the real reason everyone shows up. Clean, backdoorable peaks peeling for 100 metres over sand and rock.

And if you’re wanting to try before you buy, you’re in luck. Burleigh is already set to host the Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final on April 12–13 (read about last year’s here). The event will be live webcast, serving as an appetizer for CT groupies ahead of the Gold Coast Pro. Expect passionate club rivalries, raucous beach scenes, and some locals treating the point like it owes them money.

Amidst the setback, Gold Coast tourism suits are trying to keep their schooner glasses half-full.

“While we are disappointed Snapper Rocks won’t be hosting the highly anticipated return of the Championship Tour, we know Burleigh is a world-class point break which will challenge the globe’s very best surfers,” Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn said. “For surfing fans, the relocation of the Gold Coast Pro to Burleigh provides a unique and very special opportunity to watch the world’s leading surfers do battle at one of the world’s most iconic surfing destinations steeped in history. There is no doubt our famous Superbank at Snapper will return better than ever, planning for this in 2026 is underway, and we look forward to seeing the Gold Coast Pro back to its rightful home for the 2026 event and beyond.”

The event window remains the same — May 3 to 13 — but now with Burleigh as the main act. Greenmount, Kirra, and even Snapper will stay on the radar as potential backup spots, should the Huey be so generous.