For the past two weeks, the semi-tranquil beaches of the Gold Coast were inundated with surfers, sponsors, a mini city of brand power consumer products and a whole lot of surf. Now, when I say semi-tranquil, I mean a place that is usually relatively crowded became mind blowingly crowded beyond my comfort zone and possible the comfort zone of people who actually don't mind a small crowd. We braved the crowds to check out all that the Quicksilver Pro had to offer...namely the surfing. I hadn't been to a contest since I attended the same contest about 8 years before and to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. It was too much for me, so we found a shady spot (somewhat away from the crowds) with an average view of the surf. We were able to see the first and second turns / cutbacks / ripping manoeuvres (tried spelling that eight times before looking it up), but that was about it. After filling out a 20 minute survey that had prize incentives, we had enough of it all. We became wise and decided to go in the water and get a closer look. There aren't many places that you can stand in the water with the surfers 100 metres from where you stand sinking in the sand. I enjoyed the view and found it to be an interesting and enjoyable experience. My goal for this year is to follow the ASP tour and actually know who the surfers are. I love playing / participating in sports, but I am hopeless at following them :)
Shady Spot
Our view from the sand (if you zoom in with a microscope you will see Taylor Knox surfing)
Oh Yeah...I've been surfing too. My dad took these photos from the beach with a point and shoot camera..go Juano! Maybe next time you will get my super stellar cut backs...only jokes!
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