Behind the Shot

“These were the best waves I’ve ever seen,” recalls Corey. “I was covering this competition at Snapper Rocks. I was on the shore, and there were thousands of people packing the beach and shoreline. Joel Parkinson and Conner Coffin were out in the water. Joel, the hometown hero, was surfing so confidently. Conner there in the water, so much emotion, screaming his support and totally excited. Conner is celebrating the moment and I was able to capture the joy of the moment.”

Snapper Rocks is one of Australia’s premier surf spots. Located along the Gold Coast area known as the Superbank, Snapper Rocks has a natural point break setup. The conditions here are created in part by a steady supply of sand artificially pumped from the river mouth to the southeast. The continually restored sand generates a shallow, flat bottom, allowing the waves to develop perfect shapes that break close to the shore. Unless you have the misfortune of landing on the namesake Snapper Rocks, there’s no dangerous reef or sharp rocks to fear. The worst thing you’ll likely encounter is a big crowd. Surf tourism is big here. The waves can become very crowded, with more than 500 surfers packing the mile-long beach here on an average day.