Video: Mayhem and Mutant Waves from Snapper Rocks

Snapper Rocks is one of the most hectic surf lineups in the world.

It’s absurdly crowded, filled with so many bodies that collisions are quite common, and scoring a wave to oneself when it’s pumping is almost unheard of.

And yet, it’s a near-perfect wave – hence all the people vying for a piece of it.

Recently, Snapper and the surrounding Superbank on Australia’s Gold Coast went absolutely mental with swell, as anyone with an iPhone likely saw. Clips upon clips were pouring in, showing sunny conditions and electric blue tubes. Pretty much perfection.

It was so good that Kelly Slater even skipped the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal – and risked further injuring his already tenuous hip, which he had surgery on last year – to play hooky from the World Surf League’s Championship Tour.

Related: Kelly Slater Spotted Surfing After Hip Injury Withdraw from Portugal (Video)

Other pros, of course, were there too.

Like Mick Fanning, who got ridiculously kegged on Kirra’s steep, reeling walls. And Occy, seen in the video above, battling the crowd at Snapper – although, if you’re Occy, catching a wave to yourself isn’t as much of an issue as it is for most humans.

Speaking of the video above, it shows mostly surfers taking off behind the rock at Snapper. It’s the very top of the point, literally behind the rocks, an extremely tight takeoff zone, and often plagued by backwash from the nearby crags of stone.

Related: More Kelly Slater Scoring Perfect Kirra? Yes, Please

And the video is paired, rather cheekily, with a rendition of Santo & Johnny’s extremely mellow 1959 song “Sleep Walk.” But this video, and the waves in it, are far from mellow.

This is mutant Snapper – like the (attempted) ride at the 00:50 mark. Sheesh.

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.