It’s that time of year – the World Surfing Championships Quiksilver Pro
In less than one day the World Surfing Championships Quiksilver Pro starts. Running until 13th April, this is a permanent, recurring date in our diaries here at Hammamas.
The season begins at Snapper Rocks in Coolangatta for both the men’s Quiksilver Pro and women’s Boost Mobile Pro. Snapper Rocks is a small rocky outcrop on the northern side of Point Danger at the southern end of Rainbow Bay on the Gold Coast. It was originally formed from lava spilling into the ocean from a volcano. Sand, rocks and other stuff that’s happened over the years make this a perfect little spot for the ideal point break setup (so we are told).
Conditions are great this morning under early WSW to SSW 10 to 15 knots, which makes today’s Coastal Watch rating good. The prediction for the next two weeks is pretty good too, as previous champions including Julian Wilson, Owen Wright and Matt Wilkinson take to the waves over the next few days.
Who will be there
We will! The Hammamas tribe will be heading over to watch the surf for a few days in between planning new ranges. We’ll pitch up and throw down our Hammamas Turkish cotton beach towels to watch as the surfers come into Rainbow Bay on that very famous swell.
But more importantly, a whole bunch of male and female athletes from around the world including our very own Owen Wright and Stephanie Gilmore.
Since the first women’s event in 1988, the wins stack up for Australia with no less than 17. The Queen of the Gold Coast Stephanie Gilmore holds the records for most women’s event wins – six!
What we expect to see
- World Surf League’s best surfers – definitely. Men and women from across the globe coming to Australia to ride the best waves we have to offer
- Some great swells – of course. Those wave mechanics around Snapper Rocks are pretty unique.
- It’s wide open – any one of the World Surf League Top men’s surfers or Top women’s surfers that qualified to compete in the Championship Tour can win. The male and female surfers with the most points at the end of the year are named World Champions.
What we’re most excited about
This year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast sees more homegrown competitors in the World Surf League than ever, since it started in 1977.
For the first time in the event’s history, more men and women from the Gold Coast or Queensland surfers are taking part.
2017 Champ Owen Wright is in the first of 12 heats of the competition aiming to take the Championship from defending champion Julian Wilson this time round.
And number one ranked Stephanie Gilmore is competing for Australia! Yes we may have already mentioned her and yes we also may have a crush on her!
What if you’re not a surf fan
Queensland is full of beautiful beaches and with temperatures in the mid 20s for the next 7 days there are plenty of other water sports that you can still put on the agenda. Swimming, of course but there are other water activities you can do – windsurfing, kayaking, kite surfing and stand up paddle boarding on one of the many inland canals.
Yes it’s famed for its sandy beaches and awesome surf, but there are plenty of things to do on the Gold Coast even if you’re not there to follow the action in the Quicksilver Pro 24/7. You could head away from the water’s edge and go sightseeing. The Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse and Point Danger are both worth the visit.
If you have kids to entertain then one of the theme parks such as Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild might be in store. Or go with a group of friends even further inland and hike along one of the trails that crisscross Lamington National Park’s mountain ridges and valleys.
Which is the best Hammamas for the occasion?
If you’re heading down to watch with friends or family then it’s got to be a Hammamas Jumbo in Flame. As its name suggests, it’s pretty big – double the size in fact. Lay a few together and you’ve got your pitch for the day.
Or grab something from the Reef range. Our Aqua and Daisy blend for a distinct look on the beach. The bold and slim stripes with great colour combinations make a real statement. Plus it’ll be easy to navigate back to your spot on the sand to watch the Champs ride those waves with such a bright colour palette.
What to do next
Watch the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast live April 3-13 on Worldsurfleague.com, the App or Facebook.
With love from the Hammamas team x
Friends, fun, favourites
Whether it’s a colour, a number, movie, or wine; most people have a favourite something.
And accessories are no different. We hear most of our customers have a favourite Hammamas beach towel. These 100% Turkish cotton beauties have stolen the best spot on the podium, sitting right at the top of many people’s wish lists around the world.
At the top of our charts currently is the Hammamas Boho in Denim as it has a deep indigo colour that’s perfectly suited to that Autumn feeling. We’ve been in touch with a few of our best known customers and asked them to share their favourites with us.
Stephanie Claire Smith
The gorgeous Stephanie Claire Smith chooses to rock a raspberry Original at her home in Melbourne, the city where she was born and raised. Our original range towels are lightly striped and come in a vast range of colours – 36 and counting, making them great beach towels, and perfect to take on holiday.
The popular model, influencer and co-founder of fitness brand, Keep It Cleaner, recently got engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Josh (awwwwwww!).
She’s quoted as saying she prefers fresh to salt water and spent a lot of time when she was growing up in her favourite place in the world – the Murray River. That’s ok Steph! Your Hammamas isn’t just for the beach. Camping trips and holidays call for a soft cotton towel to be used in the day to dry off and at night as a blanket to keep you warm.
Billie Carroll
Celebrating the arrival of the weekend with friends recently, Billie shared her snap using her Original Candy demonstrating this style is a super popular choice right now! #twinning
You’ll be familiar with the reality television personality as she is well known as a cast member on the British reality series Made in Chelsea: NYC. She is also a fashion blogger who shares her personal style with us on the blog 25 North. And if that wasn’t enough, the young star (born in 1995 when we were, well, ahum, not so young already) also runs thebillieshop where “summer never ends”. We 💗
She’s also living our dream life, currently spending her time split between the Bahamas and Manhattan. Drool! Wish we were there!
Anna Heinrich
Or should we say Mrs Robards?!
She loves wearing our Ripple in mint/citrus and cruising around the north shores of Sydney.
Hammamas Ripple is our new finer stripe towel with fun and fresh colour combinations inspired by the Mediterranean and Agean Seas. It’s perfect for beaches the world over and as with all our 100% pure cotton towels, this also makes a great sarong or beach wrap.
Anyway, enough about us. We’re still busy watching videos of Anna and Tim Robards tying the knot 😍 The TV reality stars wed back in June in Southern Italy. You just can’t not look!
Decide for yourself but we’re using the term ‘fairytale’ to describe the day these two celebrated their nuptials with close friends and family.
And because it really is all about us, we reckon they took their favourite Hammamas’ on their honeymoon trip around the Mediterranean (on a yacht, no less!). Our invite must have been lost in the post. But we’ll forgive that because they visited the home of our Hammamas – the wonderful Turkey.
Tim Robards
Anna’s beau, Tim Robards, got comfy on the beach with his Bold denim/navy/dove.
The Aussie actor, chiropractor, model, AND television personality showed up on our radars when he was cast in the first season of The Bachelor Australia in 2013. Thank you world! In 2013, more than 1.2 million Australians watched Tim, 36, declare his love for Anna, 32. Since then we’ve been blessed with The Robards Method and a host of other wonderful TV appearances, and a regular gig on our local soap, Neighbours.
The pair are now based in the Sydney beach-side suburb of Bondi – so we assume they have a shelf full of different Hammamas.
That’s the round up of our friends and fans faves. What’s yours? Tell us on Instagram. In case you need any other reason to treat yourself to your very own then remember this: it’s the year of the pig. Pigs are the symbol of wealth so spend a little of it on a new Hammamas beach towel.
With love from the Hammamas team x