A Touch of Glamour as the WCT Kicks Off

It's that time of the year already. Yes, the latest Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour is underway. The action is taking place at Snapper Rocks on Australia's Gold Coast (is that little channel still there to make the paddle out easy? I remember it from 20 years ago). Here's Cassandra Murnieks with the lowdown from Down Under - and some pictures courtesy of the ASP lending an extra dash of glamour to the proceedings.

WORLD Champions Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore are firm favourites to win their respective events starting at Snapper Rocks today.

With both surfers having the famed Gold Coast break as their home break, they will be looking for a win to kick-start their 2008 World Title campaigns. While Fanning has enjoyed the time off, he is looking forward to defending his Quiksilver Pro title: "I thought that I would be feeling the pressure, but I’m actually feeling really relaxed, happy to be here and looking forward to competing."

"It’s going to be an exciting year with guys like Dane (Reynolds) and Jordy (Smith) and the other rookies on tour. Each year the level of surfing just gets better and better. It’s guys like these who help push the level of surfing and get people excited," added Fanning.

Gilmore, who won her world title as a rookie last year, will hope for the same success as she enjoyed in 2005. The 20-year-old won the Roxy Pro as a wild-card and made her mark on the international surfing scene.

"Life has become fairly busy over the recent months, but I’m feeling really good about what I have achieved so far and hopefully in the coming years I’m able to enjoy myself, enjoy my surfing and winning world titles," said Gilmore.

While both may seem the obvious favourites, everyone will be looking for a win at the first stop on both the men’s and women’s tour. West Australian Taj Burrow, who finished 2nd on the tour last year (a career best), is looking to step it up this year after enlisting a trainer.

"The past few years on tour I have had a trainer or a coach with me who has been cracking the whip and making sure I do all the right things and eat well," Burrow said. "It is pretty draining to commit to the whole year and have all the discipline in the world to try and do all the right things and dedicate everything to winning the heats. It’s a big year but I’m all up for it."

With much fanfare being placed on rookies Dane Reynolds (USA) and Jordy Smith (SAFR) who has been nicknamed the ‘South African Slater’, all eyes will be on eight-time world champion Kelly Slater. Retirement talk has surrounded Slater for the last few years, and 2008 could be his last year competing on the main tour.

"I do think it will be a tougher year competitively this year and the surf can’t be any worse than it was last season, so 2008 will be definitely be a better year all around for the tour," said the surfing superstar. "I’m sure Mick is going to be hungry to back up his title, the new guys will be hungry to make a statement and Andy (Irons) is going to be hungry to find his place again. As for me, I don’t think I'll do a full year on the Tour. I'm just going to have some fun."