So the ASP World tour is about to start again on the 25th February 2012 at Queens Land, New South wales in Australia and is sponsored by Quiksilver and Land Rover.
Snapper Rocks is perched at the head of Rainbow Bay, the jagged volcanic rocks laid down 20 million years ago catch the northward flow of sand, forming a rifling sandbottom righthander.
This event is always a good one to start. It has always been warm and sunny. The surf is never is always good and the surfers are on fire to get the year started. Kelly has been victorious here 3 times out of the 10 years the event has taken place. Kelly is the only non-Australian surfer to win this event. Most recently he won it last year, on his way to his unbelievable 11th world title.
There are many Australian surfers competing in this event this year. The likes of Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Owen Wright, Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson are among a few of my favourites to win it this year.
Joel Parkinson was the highest finishing Australian on tour last year over taking Owen Wright in the final few events of the year. Joel has won this event twice and always finishes well.
Owen Wright dropped down to 3rd in the overall rankings last year and will be very keen to do well here this year after finishing 13th last year.
Don’t forget two time champion Mick Fanning. Mick has won this event twice before and lives very close to the snapper.
Let’s put the aussie’s aside for one moment and think about the one guy whole shocked everyone last year.
Gabriel Medina..
This young Brazilian came on the tour at the cut away which was the tresles event back in early September he surprised everyone with amazing aerial manoeuvres but he finished in 13th and was over shone by Owen Wright and Kelly Slater’s epic rivalry.
He then won the event in France in emphatic style doing crazy 360 airs and big tail slides. Medina then went onto win the Rip curl Pro Search in San Francisco and then he surfed Pipe for the first time and finished the event in 5th place. I think he will definitely have his eyes on the trophy at snapper.
Who do you think this year’s winner will be?
