The Superbank / Snapper Rocks Coolangatta Queensland. Image: Queensland Tourism
As some of Australia’s top surfers gear up for the 6th leg of the Surf Web Series we highlight some of the waves and places that have become synonymous with Australian surfing, starting with Snapper - The Superbank, playground to some of the world’s best.
Ochillupo, Fanning, Parkinson, Gilmore, names we all know reside within a stones throw of this amazing stretch of sand at the very southernmost tip of Queensland, but it has been a nursery and proving ground to many up and coming surfers.
But this is a tourist mecca, visitors arriving from all over the world and it is a highly competitive place as surfers paddle deeper and deeper behind the rock to get the inside, a mistake here has serious consequences, but who cares, as any accidents are quickly pounced on by the hungry mob down the line.
When an E-SE swell combines with southerly winds Snapper is at it’s best but be prepared to paddle incessantly, and the walk back all the way from Greenmount to the keyhole (sometimes 2 or 3 times) is part and parcel of sessions here.
Snapper is renowned as one of the most consistent breaks in Queensland and every year plays host to the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro contests. Image: Tourism Queensland.
Many of the entrants in the Surfboard Empire E-Pro Australia will have spent considerable time here as it is not only a great wave but a magnet for photographers, both in and out of the water. With waves breaking just a few meters away from the beach and with some great vantage points there is never a shortage of interest as incredible images and footage can be captured.
Undoubtedly one of the key ingredients of Snapper is ‘sand’ but not just natural supply, the local council actually pumps sand from the southern end of the tweed so that it can bypass man made features that have created barriers to the natural movement of the sand. At certain times of the year depending on swell direction, wind, and whether sand pumping is being undertaken the wave has often been magically transformed in just a few days.
Often perfect but always crowded: Image Credit Andrew Shield
