Legends heat at Snapper Rocks with Kelly Slater, Steph Gilmore, Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning
Surf world champs Kelly Slater, Mark Occhilupo, Steph Gilmore, Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning have put on a Snapper Rocks show - with Gilmore as excited as anyone. See the photos
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UPDATE: Eleven-time world surfing champion and legend of the sport Kelly Slater has hit the Snapper Rocks superbank on Sunday for a Gold Coast Open heat.
The American superstar, on his retirement lap of the world surfing tour, was up against two Australians and a fellow US surfer in heat 14 of the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro.
Despite the rain, spectators flocked to the Coolangatta beachfront to catch the star in action. He didn’t manage to make the top two to advance, but still put on a world-class show for those spectators who flooded the sand.
A day prior Gold Coast-based eight-time women’s world champion Steph Gilmore said it was like a “dream” to compete against Slater and fellow world champions Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Mark Occhilupo in a “world champions” exhibition heat at Snapper Rocks.
The five stars of the sport took part in a 40-minute heat late on Saturday afternoon after day one heats of the Gold Coast Pro had finished.
Gilmore as excited as any of the spectators, saying it was probably the “highlight” of her career.
She paddled out against the four lads - and dominated, with unofficial scorers putting her as the winner with some charing waves and clean barrels.
Slater also felt she won: “Steph definitely beat all four of us. She was totally insane. It’s amazing to see this crowd down here and what surfing means to the Gold Coast. That was really fun.
“We were just stoked to be out there. It was really great. Thanks for letting us.”
Gilmore added: “That was so much fun. Oh my goodness. Joel gave me that good one, that barrel.
“That was probably the highlight of my probably my whole career, life maybe - surfing empty Snapper with those guys. It was so cool to see these guys do their thing out here. It was like a weird dream. You dream about it as a kid, to go out and experience it in real life was really special.”
EARLIER: Surfing legend Kelly Slater will put on a show against fellow world champions at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.
Slater, the 11-time world champion and on his world tour retirement lap, is scheduled to face Australian world champions Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Steph Gilmore and Mark Occhilupo from 4pm.
The five stars of pro surfing will get 40 minutes in the water at the Snapper Rocks Superbank to show their stuff.
It will follow opening day action of the Gold Coast Pro featuring some of the Gold Coast, Australia’s and world’s best up-and-comers.
The opening heat of the day will see Zoe Benedetto (USA) take on Jessie Van Niekerk (RSA) and Keala Tomoda-Bannert (HAW), as well as local trials winner Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS).
Heat 4 of the women’s Round of 48 will witness former Championship Tour competitors Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) and Paige Hareb (NZL) take on Japanese upstart Anon Matsuoka (JPN) and Ariane Ochoa (EUK).
When men’s competition gets underway, South African duo Tide-Lee Ireland (RSA) and Jordy Maree (RSA) will do battle with Josh Burke (BRB) and Levi Slawson (USA) in Heat 1 of the Round of 80.
It’s set to be an exciting day of competition, with Snapper Rocks turning on super clean surf in the two-to-three-foot range.
The action comes after revelations this week the World Surf League’s premier Championship Tour – competed on by the world’s best – will return to Snapper Rocks in 2025. The four-year deal will see the CT held annually again on the Gold Coast – bringing an estimated 14,000 spectators each year – through to 2028.
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