Day three kicked off with challenging conditions at North Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour, as competitors faced a low tide and a sleepy southeast swell. But as the tide filled in, so did the energy. The lineup eventually delivered some solid lefts, and the groms made the most of them.
The U14 boys had the early shift, navigating a tricky bank. Jaxxon Sands stood tall, locking in a 7.10, the highest wave score in the division, with a buzzer beater, stealing the heat in the final moments. Andy Blanchfield turned heads with his raw power, attacking the short, steep lefts with full commitment.
Conditions stayed tough for the U18 girls, but Ava Arghyros rose above with a blend of power and flow, hitting the lip in all the right places. Anna Huppatz, a natural footer, impressed with tight rail-to-rail surfing on tiny lefts, showing maturity well beyond her years.
As the tide pushed in, the U18 boys dialled in. Louie Ewing snatched a round 2 spot in the dying seconds, finding a runner and laid down three clean re-entries, scoring a 5.60 to overtake higher seed Jai Nield. Ryder Lucey and Will Meyer traded sevens and eights, hammering long right-handers all the way to the rocks. Big maneuvers to start and big maneuvers to finish. Opportunistic and electric. Taj Air and Bowie Robinson also went wave for wave, showcasing wildly different but equally fierce styles. Bowie delivered clinical backhand rail work while Taj brought speed, precision and smart wave selection, locking into the best waves of the heat.
Then came Locana Cullen in the U16 boys, and he lit the place up with a 9.17 and a 9.67 combo. His second wave featured a clean air reverse, followed by multiple powerful turns to the beach. Locana had power, speed and flow, but on another level. With the highest heat total of the comp so far, he is a clear front-runner for the win.
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It’s heating up with quarters and semis on tomorrow! See you in the dunes, the Surfing NSW crew.
