Once again, the legendary sandbank stretching from Snapper Rocks to Kirra Point, on Australia's
Gold Coast, is primed for incredible action as the world's best surfers kick off the first event on the 2006 ASP World Tour.
The first event on the 2006 ASP Women?s World Tour, the Roxy Pro (Feb 28-Mar 12) offers a titanic clash between two Snapper Rocks locals, world champion Chelsea Georgeson and defending event champion Stephanie Gilmore, who have been drawn against each other in round one.
Both Georgeson and Gilmore excel at performing stylish, high-speed maneuvers, a must-have quality at Snapper Rocks. Twenty-two year-old Georgeson will enter the event the world?s top seeded surfer while 18-year-old Gilmore, who has just commenced her World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaign to try to qualify for the 2007 WCT, has been granted automatic entry as defending Roxy Pro champion. She is the youngest female to ever win a WCT event at age 17 and was placed third in the Brazil WQS last week.
The WCT Quiksilver Pro, Men's event, also scheduled February 28 to March 12 at Snapper Rocks will see seven-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA), the defending event champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and former three-time world champion, last year's world runner-up, Andy Irons (HAW), looking to open their accounts for this year's rankings.
A win at Snapper would be likely to convince Slater to go for a historic 8th world title.
We have posted the men and women's WCT schedules on our surfing holidays page
