Locals Shine at the Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp Coffs Harbour

Maroubra Beach, NSW (Monday 11th September 2023): Stop two out of four of the NSW based Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp Series wrapped up on Sunday in small yet contestable conditions across the weekend. Commencing at Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour, it seemed to be the locals who had an advantage and in turn managed to find some great results for the Coffs Harbour Boardrider community.

Starting with one of the youngest athletes in the draw, it was 7-year-old Austin Reynolds (Coffs Harbour) who blew the judges away in the U8’s mixed. The local junior well and truely topped his division in both rounds with his lowest score over the weekend being a 6.5 ranging to his top score of a 7.0. Austin claimed this was his first ever chair up the beach after a great win.

Continuing the glory for the Coffs Harbour crew was U14 boys winner Hamish Harrigan who narrowly came out on top after a close battle with fellow Coffs Harbour Boardriders surfer Rio Luther Barr (Sawtell). With a 5.83 and a 4.23, Hamish walked away with his first win of the year by 0.02!

Shifting our focus to the girls side of the draw, U10’s winner Cleo Beesley (Broadwater) was undefeated throughout the rounds of competition as she surfed her way to the top. The young up-and-comer says she’s now hooked as this wasn’t just her first big win, but let alone her first competition outside of local club rounds.

Another reoccurring theme over the weekend was sibling duo’s doing it for themselves. With many athlete’s coming from ‘surf-heavy’ families, it’s not uncommon to see dynamic sibling duo’s take to the stage. Special mention goes to the Freudenstein sister’s, Frankie and Lyla who were placed head-to-head in the U14 girls Quarterfinal. Unfortunately both getting knocked, the Arrawarra girls wern’t able to connect the dots to victory. Similarly, Coolangatta brothers Chaise and Flynn Swierczewski left a significant impact on the judges with Chaise finishing up with a second in the U8’s mixed and Flynn taking out the U10’s after coming in at a very close second place in 2022.

Results

Under 8 Mixed
1^st Austin Reynolds (Coffs Harbour)
2^nd Chaise Swierczewski (Coolongatta)
3^rd Saxon King (Austinmer)
4^th Francis Huggett (Collaroy)
5^th Tarro Boxsell (Scotts Head)

Under 10 Girls
1^st Cleo Beesley (Broadwater)
2^nd Rosie Barron (Byron Bay)
3^rd Matilda Harrigan (Coffs Harbour)
4^th Sage White (Coffs Harbour)

Under 10 Boys
1^st Flynn Swierczewski (Coolangatta)
2^nd Clive Morriss (Avoca Beach)
3^rd Noah Colebert (Elanora)
4^th Luca Dart (Tugun)

Under 12 Girls
1^st Navah Holmes (Tugun)
2^nd Alanni Morris (Shelly)
3^rd Piper O’Sullivan (Sawtell)
4^th Shelby O’Rourke (Woodburn)

Under 12 Boys
1^st Tully Crompton (Tugun)
2^nd Asher Winters (Port Macquarie)
3^rd Jay Whitfield (Bogangar)
4^th Phoenix Talbot (Wooloweyah)

Under 14 Girls
1^st Gidget Kowalski (Kirra)
2^nd Maddison Kenchington (Tallebudgera)
3^rd Mali Adam (Crescent Head)
4^th Navah Holmes (Tugun)

Under 14 Boys
1^st Hamish Harrigan (Coffs Harbour)
2^nd Rio Luther Barr (Sawtell)
3^rd Carter Crowley (Coffs Harbour)
4^th Joe Rocco Sommerville (Sandon Point)

For full results – see here

Regarded as one of the major stepping stones in the development of young Australian surfers, the 10-event Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps series caters for surfers from Under 8 to Under 14 and will be held in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia over summer.

As an added bonus, the respective winners of the Under 14 boys’ and girls’ divisions from each event will receive an invite to attend an all-expenses-paid, three-day Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps National Final Surf Camp, (1-day coaching clinic, two days of competition and heat analysis coaching) at the Surfing Australia High-Performance Centre (HPC). For the South Australian, Victorian and Tasmanian events, the Woolworths Surf Camp prize will be awarded to the highest place Under-14 Boy and Girl who reside in that respective state.

Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps 2023 Schedule:

• EVENT 1 – Kiama, NSW – Sept 2 – 3, 2023
• EVENT 2 – Coffs Harbour, NSW – Sept 9 – 10, 2023 
• EVENT 3 – Fleurieu Peninsula, SA – Sept 30, 2023
• EVENT 4 – Gold Coast, QLD – Oct 7 – 8, 2023
• EVENT 5 – Torquay, VIC – Oct 14 – 15, 2023
• EVENT 6 – Clifton Beach, TAS – Oct 28, 2023
• EVENT 7 – Northern Beaches, NSW – Nov 4 – 5, 2023
• EVENT 8 – Trigg, WA – Nov 18 – 19, 2023
• EVENT 9 – Cronulla, NSW – Dec 2 – 3, 2023
• EVENT 10 – Sunshine Coast, QLD – Dec 9 – 10, 2023
• National Final – Surfing Australia HPC, Casuarina, NSW – Dec 16 – 18, 2023

The Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps Series is proudly supported by Le Tan, Ruffie Rustic Foods, Wax Fresh and Surfing Australia.