Gold Coast Pro – May 2023
Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro – now on at Snapper Rocks!
The Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro is scheduled to take place at Snapper Rocks from 6-13 May 2023.
Spanning 7 days, this international surfing comp will feature the world’s finest surfers battling against each other. It’s the first stop of the 2023 WSL Challenger Series in Australia, with participants competing for a qualifying spot on the 2024 WSL Championship Tour.
Participants representing surfing nations from across the globe, will strive to achieve the highest scores on some of the world’s most remarkable waves at Snapper Rocks.
Snapper is renowned as the world’s preeminent right-hand sandy point break, and a treasured spot for elite surfers across the globe. And lucky for us, it’s just a 6 minute walk (or a hop, skip & a jump) from our beautiful Rainbow Bay accommodation.
Since 1977, the Gold Coast has been a hub for major surfing events, with the annual Gold Coast Pro being a highlight that draws in large crowds daily. For over two decades, Snapper Rocks has hosted this event, featuring the world’s most outstanding surfers and breathtaking waves that are a sight to behold.
The allure of Snapper Rocks as a competition venue is nothing short of magnetic for top-ranked surfers who aspire to compete here. These contests are a dazzling spectacle, showcasing the pinnacle of high-performance surfing, with onlookers cheering on from the beach.
The 2023 Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by GWM has attracted some of the biggest names in surfing, including Snapper Rocks local Stephanie Gilmore.
Location: Rainbow Bay SLSC, Snapper Rocks Road, Coolangatta QLD 4225
Parking: On street parking near the site, and public transport on Bus 700
2022 Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl
In 2022, Snapper Rocks, a cherished destination among the planet’s top surfers, hosted the highly anticipated Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl. Caitlin Simmers and Callum Robson were the 2022 winners of the first stop of the WSL Challenger series.
This seven-day surfing competition, taking place in the month of May each year, offered the perfect vantage point to witness elite surfers go head to head. Participants competed on the Challenger Series to secure a qualifying spot on the 2023 WSL Championship Tour.
The Gold Coast has been a popular venue for major surfing events since 1977, with the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro, formerly known as the Billabong Pro and later the Quiksilver Pro, being an annual highlight for over two decades at Snapper Rocks. This event showcases the world’s best surfers riding some of the finest waves known to the surfing world. In a typical year, the competition attracts 5,000-10,000 spectators on the beach daily.
Snapper Rocks is the ultimate dream location for all highly-ranked surfers, who aspire to compete in these contests that exhibit state-of-the-art, high-performance surfing, providing an unmatched experience for spectators who can relish the competition from the beach.
1996 – 2019 Quiksilver Pro + Billabong Pro
The Quiksilver Pro was a WSL top-tier competition held at Snapper Rocks. It was cancelled in August 2021 and moved to Narrabeen in Sydney’s northern beaches. The Gold Coast now hosts the second-tier Challenger competition.
The inaugural Gold Coast Pro, sponsored by Billabong and won by Hawaiian pro-surfer Kaipo Jaquias, took place in 1996. A few year later, the event switched sponsors to Quiksilver, but the wave quality, competition, and competitors remained first-rate.
The secret to the spectacularly long, hollow waves at the Gold Coast Pro is attributed to the sand. A massive bank of sand rests between the pointbreak Snapper Rocks and the beach break of Kirra. The bank was not naturally formed but was created by dredging the Gold Coast Tweed River.
The Queensland and New South Wales governments began the process of dredging between 1995 and 1998 to establish a safer waterway. The surplus sand was pumped out to Rainbow Bay, better known as Snapper Rocks and Kirra.
Continued restoration of the beach and the introduction of an even larger sandbank meant that the pointbreak delivered an exceptional right-hand ride and an epic surfing experience!
Gold Coast Pro Accommodation
If you’re thinking of visiting Rainbow Bay for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro, then Rainbow Commodore is the perfect place to stay!
Our holiday apartments feature:
- 32 spacious 2-Bedroom Rainbow Bay Apartments all facing north, capturing winter sun and summer breezes, and most enjoying magnificent views of ocean and Gold Coast skyline
- All apartments are self contained with a fully equipped kitchen; dishwasher, microwave, full size refrigerator
- Ensuite from Main Bedroom
- Bedding consists of 1 queen and 2 singles
- Heated Swimming pool and Heated spa
- Half court tennis (racquets available for hire)
- Security underground parking
- Cable colour TV, clock radio, direct dial phones
- All linen is supplied (Excludes hand towels/face washers / beach or pool towels)
- Laundry includes washer and dryer
- Complete tour information & booking office
- Tour buses pick-up and deliver to the front door
- 500 metres to Twin Towns International Club
- In house library
