Sun, sand and pro surfing

Sometimes, a little bit of planning can go a long way while traveling. An early purchase of a flight, rental car, or hotel can save some cash, and having an itinerary can mean maximizing the fun. Having your days planned out, a compass (metaphorically) pointing north and a destination is something some people need. For many backpackers, and myself, the idea of making a plan beyond what you are doing in the now is absolutely ludicrous. Plans come and go, and normally, this is the result of finding great things to do along the way. Much as many of my travels have gone, descending randomly on a town called Coolangatta resulted in another unexpected, but greatly appreciated free event: The Quicksilver and Roxy Pro Surfing competition.

While March may spell spring in the states, in Queensland in Australia, the weather is always warm and the surf is always kicking. For two weeks each year in the beginning of March, the surf town of Coolangatta becomes Quicksilver and Roxy headquarters for their kick-off event for the professional surfing year. Coolangatta, located in the Gold Coast, boasts a myriad of different surf breaks, and with weather normally bright and sunny, a perfect place to put beach bodies ready to cheer on some of the world's best.

On the women’s side of the event this year, some of the main completion includes up and comer Tyler Wright, 2012 champ Stephanie Gilmore, perennial badass Sally Fitzgibbons and dark horse competitor Malia Manuel. While the men’s side has nearly 40 competitors, the top names are reigning World Champ Dane Reynolds, Quicksilver Champ from 2012 Taj Burrow, and arguably the best surfer of all time, Kelly Slater. World-class surfers are in high abundance.

For those looking to head out to the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro surfing in event in Coolangatta, you will need to wait until next year, as this year’s event is heading into its final days. Though the town is absolute madness, there a few things that can make your trip out here a little less crazy. First off, car camping (literally sleeping in your car) is one of the easiest ways to be right in the middle of the action without paying a dime. With the competition being further south down the beach closer to Tweed Heads Point, the parking lots near the northern beaches are rarely patrolled. This is the best place for car camping. The parks lining the back of the beaches offer clean water showers, places to cook, as well as taps that actually spout boiling water for tea and noodles. Car camping here is budget traveling at its finest.

Image courtesy of Coolangatta Sands Hostel

For those less inclined to sleep in a car and shower on the beach, budget accommodation is available, but requires advanced booking or friends. The Sands Hostel in Coolangatta has dorm beds and cheap privates (relative to Australia) and is located a block or two off the beach. To stay here though, one must definitely book in advance. If you are arriving on the spur of the moment, a 10-minute walk south of Coolangatta is Kirra Beach, which offers hotels under $100 a night. These can be split between friends, and many of the establishments are keen to turn a blind eye if your crew is under the number of seven and aren't too loud.

While hippy pants and body odor may fly in some places, part of the fun in hitting the Quicksilver and Roxy tour is trying to get access to (or crash) the parties each night. Most bars and clubs will host their own professional-normal folk mixer, and getting a ticket to one of these is definitely worthwhile. Your best bet is to make friends with your hotel receptionist, or stay at a place offering a party of their own, with free tickets for guests.

Though the inaugural event of the season is well under way, don’t fret; there are plenty more dates for this year's top-34 best surfers. From March 27-April 7, the men and women will be hitting Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia. After that, the tour heads to Rio in Brazil from May 8-19, then to Fiji from June 2-14. For the entire list of dates, head to ASP website.

Enjoy random traveling, and good luck falling into fun you never knew existed!

Kelly Slate photo courtesy of Twitter