SOUTH African surfers, Jordy Smith and Bianca Buitendag, have joined the world’s best surfers who are converging on Australia’s Gold Coast for the opening events of the elite 2015 World Surf League (WSL) Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour (CT) season.
The US $525 000 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast for men and the $262 500 Roxy Pro Gold Coast for women will be held from 28 February to 11 March in Coolangatta, Queensland, with the renowned hollow tubes of Snapper Rocks the headquarters for the events, which run concurrently.
The WSL (formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals) Samsung Galaxy CT features the top 34 male and top 17 female surfers on the planet as they compete on an international 20-event tour in the hunt for the undisputed world surfing crown.
Smith ended the 2014 season in seventh place on the rankings after a stellar last third of the year that saw the Durban-raised 27-year-old claim his fourth career CT event title at Trestles near his new home in San Clemente, California in September. He went on to finish third in France and runner-up in Portugal, both in October, climbing seven places in six weeks.
Touted as a potential WSL World Champion ever since finishing runner-up to Kelly Slater (USA) in the 2010 season, just his second on the elite tour, Smith will be going all out to kickstart his 2015 campaign with a great result at the opening event, where 50 per cent of the winners over the past decade have gone on to clinch that year’s world title.
Buitendag, who finished her second season among the world’s top 17 ranked women, also ranked number seven, will be hoping to go one better than her sensational runner-up finish to eventual 2014 Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore from Australia at Snapper Rocks last year.
The 21-year-old will be determined to win her first CT event and break into the top five in the world this year.
The Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast will be webcast live at worldsurfleague.com.
