Rip Curl GromSearch
- Written by Ethan Smith
Some of the nation's best junior surfers will venture to Narrabeen next week as part of the Rip Curl GromSearch presented by Flight Centre National Final.
Over 50 aspiring professional surfers from all over Australia will contest the three-day National Final, which will run at the iconic Northern Beaches location from the 16th – 18th January.
“Last year we saw some of the most picturesque looking waves that we could possibly imagine for an event,” said Surfing NSW CEO Luke Madden. “With any luck we’ll see similar conditions that will allow the whole field to put on an impressive display of surfing and really show what they’re capable of.”
The Rip Curl GromSearch presented by Flight Centre will commence each day at 7:30am with the call for the days schedule and location confirmed via the event hotline at 6:45am. The event hotline number is 0458 247 212 which will leave a voice recorded message each morning of the event.
All Rip Curl GromSearch events include boys’ and girls’ divisions in 16 and under, 14 and under, and 12 and under age groups. Surfers receive points for their results in each event, which then count towards a National GromSearch ratings system, allowing surfers from around Australia to compare their results with contemporaries. Leaders on the National Ratings will then qualify for the last event of the series, the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final, to be held at North Narrabeen, NSW on January 16-18, 2017.
The Rip Curl GromSearch series started in 1999 as a one-day event at Jan Juc in Victoria. Since then it has developed into the strongest international series for 16 year and under surfers in the world. With parallel Rip Curl GromSearch series in over 10 countries, it has become a crucial stepping-stone in the development of elite junior surfers.
The list of previous GromSearch competitors highlights the elite level of competitors that make up the Rip Curl GromSearch series.
Current WSL World Tour surfers who have competed in the Rip Curl GromSearch include:
Male: Matt Wilkinson (Australia), Gabriel Medina (Brazil), Kolohe Andino (USA), Felipe Toledo (Brazil), Jordy Smith (South Africa), Nat Young (USA).
Female: Tyler Wright (Australia), Stephanie Gilmore (Aust), Malia Manuel (USA), Sally Fitzgibbons (Aust), Nikki Van Dijk (Aust), Tatiana Weston-Webb (Hawaii).
The 2016 Rip Curl GromSearch series is presented by FLIGHT CENTRE with managing partner Surfing NSW.
Citroen is the official vehicle partner of Rip Curl Australia.
2016 Rip Curl GromSearch Series
EVENT 1 - Jan Juc, VIC - Sept 17 - 19, 2016
EVENT 2 - Maroubra, NSW - Sep 24 - 27, 2016
EVENT 3 - Trigg / Scarborough WA - Oct 7 - 9, 2016
EVENT 4 - Yorkes Peninsula, SA - Nov 12 - 13, 2016
EVENT 5 - Sunshine Coast, QLD - Dec 12 - 16, 2016
National Final - North Narrabeen - Jan 16 - 18, 2017
Image Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW. Social: @ethdogsmith / @surfing_nsw
