Frames: Best of Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast

Surfing four times that day, Mark Occhilupo complained of severe leg cramps caused by the length of the ride at the iconic righthander, attributing his loss to Morrison to physical exhaustion.

Mick Lowe (AUS), nicknamed "The Keg," won the 2004 Quiksilver Pro with superior wave selection, beating then six-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in the Quarterfinals, power-surfer Taylor Knox (USA) in the Semifinals, and the 2003 World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) in the Final.

Mick Fanning's (AUS) victory in 2005 completed the "Cooly Kids'" competitive domination of Snapper Rocks. Fanning's win rounded off the hometown trio's trifecta as mates Joel Parkinson and Dean Morrison had won the event in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

Making the victory all that much sweeter, the 2005 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast was Fanning's first event back after his season-ending injury in 2004.

7-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) stormed to victory in 2006 when the Final ran at Duranbah. Slater out-surfed 1999 World No. 2 Taj Burrow in a closely matched Final.

Taj Burrow (AUS) had returned to competition in 2006 looking faster and sharper than ever, having sustained a broken foot the previous season. After his injury Burrow discovered the benefits of training and looked dangerous throughout the event, but fell just short of Slater in the Final.

Australian Mick Fanning proved himself to be one of the best to ever surf the world-class wave of Snapper Rocks, winning the event over unsponsored surfer Bede Durbidge (AUS) in 2007.

Fanning could now claim to be the first of the "Cooly Kids" to earn two Quiksilver Pro victories.

In 2008 Kelly Slater defeated Mick Fanning during the Final. Slater and Fanning were then tied for wins at the Gold Coast event.

Hometown hero Joel Parkinson defeated Adriano de Souza (BRA) in dredging 8-to-10 foot barrels at Kirra Point in 2009. Parkinson found his highest gear, scoring two perfect 10s in one day, including one during the event Final.

Parkinson receives a heroes welcome as he returns to shore, the 2009 Quiksilver Pro Champion.

The 2009 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast marked the first time Brazilian Adriano De Souza reached a Championship Tour Final. His brilliant performance included the defeat of 2001 Quiksilver Pro winner Taj Burrow in the Semifinals and 2007 runner-up Bede Durbidge in the Quarterfinals.

Taj Burrow clinched his second consecutive Championship Tour victory defeating Jordy Smith (ZAF) in the 2010 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Final, just a few short months after winning the Pipe Masters in Hawaii.

South African Jordy Smith reached his first-ever CT Final at the 2010 event. But despite early success in the event, he fell to Burrow in the Final when conditions failed to cooperate. He finished as a very respectable runner-up.

In 2011, Kelly Slater secured his 46th elite Tour event victory, defeating defending event champion Taj Burrow.

Burrow, arguably the form surfer of the event, went on a rampage to oust American Brett Simpson in the Quarterfinals and South African Jordy Smith in the Semifinals, before falling just short of the score needed to surpass Slater in the Final.

2012 offered crumbly 3-to-4 foot surf and it was Taj Burrow who crushed Brazil's hopes, defeating Adriano de Souza in the Final to clinch his third Quiksilver Pro title (Burrow won in 2001, 2010 and 2012).

Kirra Point offered up classic kegs for the 2013 event that saw Kelly Slater defeat 2012 World Champion Joel Parkinson in a nail-biting Final.

Gabriel Medina’s historic triumph in 2014 was the first time a Brazilian won the event at Snapper Rocks and only the second time a goofyfooter had won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. Medina beat 2013 runner-up Joel Parkinson (AUS) in an extremely close Final. By the time the horn blasted, the two were separated by only 0.06 points.