Vote who will win the 2018 Quiksilver Pro

SURF Scene looks at the field for the Quiksilver Pro. Cast your vote on who will win.

THE Quiksilver men’s and Roxy women’s Trials competition at Snapper Rocks set to start Saturday is a gladiator-style gnarly battle where only the winners qualify to take a place among the world’s best.

It has to be one of the hardest fought trials to bust down the door .

Even the Pipeline trials allocate first and second into the main event, while back in the day in surfing’s professional infancy, it was the 16 trialists meeting up with the established top 16.

This year’s Snapper Rocks trials line-up has one of the most talented of a World Surf League trials elimination.

The trialists are allocated through representations such as local boardriders, the Snapper Surfriders Club, Surfing Queensland, the host association, WSL Australia, WSL International and the Sponsors pick.

I will focus on the local talent – the women’s field has 12 competitors and will be cut to four in the final.

Piper Harrison of the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club is the new Australian under-18 women’s champion but has won her spot as the Qld Open women’s Champion.

Originally from Gunnamatta, Victoria, Piper and her family moved to Coolangatta three years ago and is now one of the women standouts at Snapper.

Amber Dodds of Sunrise Beach on the Sunshine Coast is Queensland’s under-18 girls’ champion.

Kobie Enright is the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club choice and has been flaring on the WQS winning back to back at Maroubra and Burleigh and runner-up at Cabarita.

Zahli Kelly from Tweed Heads could be the ultimate dark horse.

The men’s field comprises 16 competitors that will be narrowed down to a four-man final.

Mitch Parkinson earned his spot as Surfing Queensland’s QCC (Queensland Championship Circuit) winner.

Mitch would like to win his way into a match-up against his older cousin, 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson who won back in 2002, the first year it became a World Tour event.

Alister Reginato is from the North Shore Boardriders of the Sunshine Coast and won his spot by taking out the Qld State under-18 boys’ title.

Sheldon Simkus from the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club is their local choice.

Together with Mitch, they are the standouts behind the Rock at Snapper and if Sheldon gets the waves could prove to be the new Cooly kid on the block.

Trials start Saturday with the main event of the Quiksilver Pro men’s and Roxy Pro women’s on Sunday, swell permitting. It takes five days to run off both events with a 10-day window for best possible surf.

WHO WILL WIN?

MEN

1. Mick Fanning

2. Joel Parkinson

3. John John Florence

4. Gabriel Medina

5.Others

WOMEN

1. Stephanie Gilmore

2. Carissa Moore

3. Tyler Wright

4. Sally Fitsgibbons.

5. Others