After being out of the elite surfing circuit for five years, the famous Australian wave Snapper Rocks is back on the World Surf League World Tour. The event is confirmed in Coolangatta, Gold Coast, from 2025. The entity announced the return of the peak to the calendar this Thursday (25).
According to the entity, the return of the event is guaranteed thanks to a new partnership between the WSL, Experience Gold Coast and Queensland Tourism and Events. This agreement guarantees the inclusion of the tournament from 2025 to 2028.
Snapper Rocks was the elite season opener for two decades until the event was canceled due to a major reshuffle of the calendar during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Australian portal ABC, the WSL paused competitions during the first year of the pandemic and upon its return in 2021, the Gold Coast lost its hosting rights due to a dispute between the Queensland government over Covid restrictions. For the past three years, Snapper Rocks has hosted the opening event of the Challenger Series.
The WSL has not yet revealed how Snapper Rocks will fit into the 2025 calendar and whether its addition means another venue will be cut. The 2024 Australian leg featured Bells Beach and Margaret River. The Gold Coast is likely to become the final event before the mid-season cut, or the first event after the cut, reports ABC Australia.
Since 2002 on the CT calendar, Snapper Rocks has been home to some of the most iconic victories in surfing history. World champions such as Kelly Slater (USA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS), Carissa Moore (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Tyler Wright (AUS), Caroline Marks (USA), Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) won titles at their peak.
Sources ABC Australia and WSL
