| COORDINATES: 28.10 S, 153.33 E
BAGGAGE CLAIM: Gold Coast Airport, Coolangatta (OOL)
TRANSPORT: You can get by in Cooly with a bus pass, a bike or by foot' Wanna head up the coast and have cash to spare? Call a cab.
ATTITUDE: A girl can get barreled for some 22 kilometers along this sandy stretch of Australia, don a dress afterwards and be dance floor bound by sun down. There's a reason they call the metropolis closest to 'Cooly' Surfer's Paradise!
THE WAVE(S): A mile of reeling rights barreling over a spoon-fed sandbar (courtesy of the Gold Coast City Council and their sand-pumping savvy) makes for one heck of a playground. The Roxy Pro sets up shop at Snapper Rocks but can relocate to Kirra, Burleigh or Duranbah should the 'Superbank' not behave.
PERKS: ASP Women's World Tour surfers Chelsea Georgeson and Stephanie Gilmore call Snapper Rocks home, which means the odds of seeing one of them slashing the Superbank is super likely ' watch and learn ladies, watch and learn.
PERILS: Sure, Snapper pumps' but because that's not exactly a secret, you and several dozen other "sheilas" will have to hash it out in the lineup if you want a wave.
APRES SURF: The only thing Aussies are more passionate about than surfing is imbibing adult beverages' take it to Surfer's Paradise or the local pub, but be prepared to be humbled by the home team.
LOCAL LIBATION: And a vodka, lime and soda for the lady, thanks.
EAT AT: The smoothies at Coolangatta Fruit Shop on the round is are a staple for ASP CEO Brodie Carr. Little Malaya Restaurant does a mean cashew chicken and all-time curries and Caf' Fresh in Kirra is a chill but groovy place to grab cocktails and an entr'e. Looking for cheap local fare? The
CAFFEINATE AT: Local lass Chelsea Hedges starts her day at Gloria Jeans, the coffee shop next to Mick Fanning's Rip Curl Store, but to be fair, the Gold Coast does java justice in general.
ASP WOMEN'S WORLD TOUR HISTORY: The ladies have been dueling it out at Snapper since 2002. The girl's portion of proceedings normally runs at the Superbank, but the whole operation went mobile to nearby D'bah in 2006.
NOTABLE: In 2005, 17-year-old trials winner Stephanie Gilmore steamrolled the competition to take out the contest and become the youngest woman to ever win an ASP Women's World Tour event. The unprecedented win brought major exposure to both the rising star and the women's tour itself. |
ROXY PRO GOLD COAST
