Organisers struck gold moving to Park Beach. 4-6ft waves were firing, serving up chunky sections that demanded full-send commitment. Big moves and big lay downs, there was zero room to play safe. With 6500-points on the table, plus golden tickets to the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final at Urbnsurf Sydney for the Under 12 – Under 16 divisions and a spot in the Under 16 International Final, it was game on.
Semi Showdowns
In the U14 boys semis, Jaxxon Sands kept cool under pressure, sneaking a last-minute score that knocked Bryn Spierings into third. Tully Crompton then pulled off a heat heist in the final 40 seconds. Tully launched at a heavy end section and nailed a lip line re-entry to leap into first, snatching the win from Phoenix Talbot and locking in his finals spot and booked his place at the Rip Curl Nationals. Harry Stephens also brought the heat with a commanding win, leaving no doubt.
Followed by the U16 girls, Lani Cairncross exploded out of the gates with an 8.67, the cleanest two-turn combo of the event so far. Lani backed it up with a 7.23 after, belting a big backhand section. But Talia Tebb fired back hard, being the form surfer of the event opening with a 7.0 on a dreamy left and followed it with a 6.30, lighting up a huge wall out the back. Big heat. Big surfing.
Next up, the U16 boys hit the water, where Hamish Harrigan delivered when it counted, slicing rail-to-rail on long lefts and keeping the local crowd on their feet. He grabbed second and was looking like a real dark horse heading into the final.
In the U18 girls, Ava Arghyros stuck to her strategy, locking in solid combos with clean surfing. Anna Huppatz meanwhile went all-in on power, throwing massive turns on the biggest sections of the day. Both delivered when it mattered and were through to the final.
Taj Air (U18 boys) was all power and precision. Benji Lowen didn’t back down, found a solid set and absolutely smashed the bag out of it with a 8.0. Full commitment. Full energy. But Taj held it down and got the job done.
Finals rolled in and the groms rose with the tide.
Sage Fleming looked right at home in the U12 girls final. Sage stitched together a sharp combo on a dreamy runner down south for an 8.17 and backed it up for a 12.67 total. Composed. Stylish. In control from the get-go.
Hayden Mee kept his foot on the gas in the U12 boys final. Hayden’s been in rhythm all event and stayed there, landing another solid combo to keep the lead with a 15.74 total. Flynn Swierczewski threw everything at it. Needing an 8.01 on his last wave, Flynn pushed hard and scored a 7.00. So close, but full of fight. That kind of surfing sticks with you.
The U14 girls final then came down to the wire, with Navah Holmes charging a strong left-hander and sealing it with a powerful, no non-sense finishing turn, delivering when it mattered most. By earning an 8.30 with just 10 seconds left on the clock, her buzzer-beater blew past Ily Fraser.
When it came to the U14 boys, they were all in the mix. Jaxxon Sands kept his cool and dropped a 7.83 in the dying seconds to snatch victory from the jaws of the heat. Talk about a last minute steal.
Savannah Riley (U16 girls) 8.67 was not just a score, it was a statement. Full throttle, with proper commitment on chunky sections. When the lip came screaming at her on three massive sections, she looked it dead in the eye and smoked it.
Locana Cullen (U16 boys) turned it on when it counted. His last two waves were lightning fast, full power, unstoppable. The kid’s a superstar in the making. Reef Cant dug deep, threw everything at it, and left nothing behind. All heart, all hustle.
Ava Arghyros was raw in the U18 girls final, relentless, and fearless in the chunky conditions. She dropped a 12.34 in heavy conditions and iced the win by just 0.27.
To close out the day Benji Lowen (U18 boys) dropped jaws. He saved the biggest hammer for last, locking in a 9.67 that could be the wave of the event. He didn’t just shut the door, he blew it off the hinges on a five-foot slab.
For all results hit LIVE HEATS
📲 Stay updated:
- DON’T MISS A SET – GROMS UNLEASHED – Instagram stories for live coverage
- Daily Albums – Finals/Day 5 and presentation photos will be uploaded Wednesday.
A massive thank you to our community, partners, team and every single competitor. What an event. You rose to the occasion and made it unforgettable. Big love, see you at the tub, the Surfing NSW team.
