Champions crowned at the Rip Curl GromSearch National Qualifier

Merewether, NSW (2^nd October 2022) – Surfing NSW, final day of competition brought perfect surfing from Australia’s best grommets at the Rip Curl GromSearch National Qualifier.

In form surfers Talia Tebb (Avacoa, NSW) and Locana Cullen (Avalon, NSW) took out the Under 12 Girls and Boys.  Continuing their run of recent wins in the NSW State Titles, Tebb didn’t lose a heat all week on her way to victory. Perfect surfing from Cullen sealed him the win in the Under 12 Boys final. It was Cullen who dropped the first and only perfect 10-point ride of the event.

In the Under 14’s, it was local surfer Ocean Lancaster (Merewether, NSW) who took the win in the boys, and South Coast surfer Lucy Darragh (Kiama, NSW) who got the win in the girls. Both surfers were standouts at the event, and it was always going to be hard for their fellow competitors to beat them. Lancaster will look to defend his National title at URBNSURF early in the new year, while Darragh will be looking to do one better than last year’s second place at the National final.

Continuing the dominance of local surfers, Newcastle’s very own Natalie Fensom (Newcastle, NSW) took out the Under 16 Girls, finding the right waves allowing her to display her powerful rail game.

In what was a nail biting final for the Under 16 Boys, Kash Brown (Cronulla, NSW) started out the strongest on opening exchange with an 8.17. Jimmi Hill (Port Stephens, NSW) then fought back to post the highest single wave of the heat with a 9-point ride. It was Brown who then found himself an 8.47 in the last 10 minutes of the heat to edge out Hill by 0.11.

The GromSearch Series runs in more than 10 countries, with over 3,000 competitors worldwide.

The worldwide series of events is designed for grommets and features Under 12 Boys, Under 12 Girls, Under 14 Boys, Under 14 Girls, Under 16 Boys and Under 16 Girls divisions.

2022 RIP CURL GROMSEARCH SERIES DATES

EVENT 1 – Jan Juc, VIC – Sept 17 – 19, 2022
EVENT 2 – Newcastle, NSW – Sept 29 – Oct 2, 2022
EVENT 3 – Coolum, QLD – Dec 12 – 14, 2022
National Final – URBNSURF Melbourne, VIC March 2023

The call for the event will be made at 6:15am for a 7:00am start. 

Live Scores and Schedule can be accessed here.

Under 12 Girls
1^st – Talia Tebb (Avoca, NSW)
2^nd – Zara Hall (Avoca, NSW)
3^rd – Malia Watson (Tweed, NSW)
4^th Olive Morriss (Avoca, NSW)

Under 12 Boys
1^st Locana Cullen (Avalon, NSW)
2^nd Kaoni Aguiar (Northern Beaches, NSw)
3^rd Tommy Hainsworth (Kiama, NSW)
4^th Luca Martin (Coffs Harbour, NSW)

Under 14 Girls
1^st Lucy Darragh (Kiama, NSW)
2^nd Mia MacMahon (Norah Head, NSW)
3^rd Alice Hodgson (Werri, NSW)
4^th Madora Barton (Yamba, NSW)

Under 14 Boys
1^st Ocean Lancaster (Merewether,NSW)
2^nd Ben Zanatta (Freshwater, NSW)
3^rd Joey Silk (Cresent Head, NSW)
4^th Balin Cullen (Avalon, NSW)

Under 16 Girls
1^st Natalie Fensom (Newcastle, NSW)
2^nd Isabel Higgs (Dee Why, NSW)
3^rd Ocea Curtis (Lennox Head, NSW)
4^th Lani Cairncross (Kiama, NSW)

Under 16 Boys
1^st Kash Brown (Cronulla, NSW)
2^nd Jimmi Hill (Port Stephens, NSW)
3^rd Lex O’Connor (Queenscliff, NSW)
4^th Fred Carmody (Bondi, NSW)