Condition Report: We’re Moving To Snapper!

After watching Caroline Marks *nearly* combo the 7x Champ and Gold Coast local, Steph Gilmore, at perfect chest-high Duranbah, we heard an interesting rumor.

“The WSL is going back to Snapper after the Women’s quarters – 2 PM call for a potential 2:30 start.”

Despite wanting to watch the conclusion of the women’s quarters, I was compelled to check (and document) the Snapper bank, to see if the WSL’s motivations for moving were pure or coerced by nefarious forces. 

My first discovery: the Snapper rocks are fucking sharp! Pussyfooting out to the end of the rocks, I ran into Russ, who you might know as the didgeridoo guy that’s more endemic to Snapper Rocks than the barnacles beneath my feet. 

“Do you reckon they should move the event back to Snapper?” I asked Russ.

“It belongs here,” he replied, before collecting water with his super-flute and sending it back into the sea. 

I remained unconvinced. The waves here were slightly smaller than Dbah and, three hours before the low, still looked incredibly bloated. You could basically take off behind the rock, do one lip jab and then milk it through the inside with pitiful cutties.

Italo Ferreira was the only Tour surfer in the water, and he even he was struggling to score above a four (though he did get one “good” wave, which probably would have been around a six). All things considered, it looked noticeably worse than Dbah. 

So, why the change?

First of all, money. 

As we reported yesterday: 

The Quik Pro Snapper is sponsored by the Queensland government, who helps subsidize the extensive permitting fees at Snapper Rocks. That deal does not extend to Duranbah, because despite being catapult range from the top of the Superbank, Dbah technically resides in Tweed Heads, New South Wales.

Rumors of the daily cost to run at Dbah have circulated the event site. We’ve heard 20, 50, even $100k, which for a financially unstable company like the WSL is certainly not nothing. Stab has been informed that the new WSL Commissioner, Pat O’Connell, plans to run some portion of the event at Snapper, if for no other reason than to offset some of the event costs.

However, the WSL has already paid to use Duranbah today, so switching back to Snapper is not a strictly financial decision. It’s also because the majority of the contest infrastructure, from pop-up shops to podiums, are all at Snapper. So it’s a better look for the WSL to have their event here – especially the finals.

On top of that, Snapper is a better venue for spectators, as they can get much closer to the athletes. Also, the bank is returning to form, and a lot of the surfers are keen, so why not?

Occy gets amongst it!

It was around noon when I made my retreat from the Rocks. Perhaps by fate, the WSL’s new Commissioner Pat O’Connell was paddling out through the keyhole. 

“Pat, what’s the call? Are we going to Snapper?”

“Yeah brah, woohoo!”

According to inside sources, the WSL will attempt to finish the Men’s quarters today. Semis and finals for both sexes will finish tomorrow at Snapper on the afternoon low. 

See you down there in an hour!