Pittwater Online News

Playful three-foot left-handers gave competitors in the Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu at Coffs Harbour the perfect blank canvas show their repertoire of manoeuvres as they attempted to earn themselves a position into the final day of competition.
 
Jay Pink (Forster, NSW) and Jack O’Brien (Lennox Head, NSW) both put commanding performances in the Under-14 Boys with both surfers performing an exciting array of backside snaps to put themselves into a solid position going into the second round. Pink was able to muster up a solid 15.66 two-wave total (out of a possible 20 points), while O’Brien notched up 13.5.

Local surfer Rosie Smart (Sawtell, NSW) flew the Coffs Harbour flag for her local supporters on the beach posting an impressive 12.84 heat total in her opening Under-14 Girls heat. Smart will be one of the front-runners going into the second round of the division.

 
Fletcher Kelleher (Freshwater, NSW), Jack Macdonald (Freshwater, NSW), Isaak Brown (Lake Munmorah, NSW) and Harry O’Brien (Lennox Head, NSW) all claimed wins in their opening Under-12 Boys exchanges posting a handful of notable scores. All surfers will get a chance to cement their position into the finals when the second round commences.
 

Over 100 competitors are competing in the two-day event, which will see some of the nation's most promising young surfers competing for a range of prizes, both in and out of the water.
 
The main base for event four of the Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu is Macauleys with backup locations of Park Beach, Diggers and Sawtell.
 
All competitors are advised to ring the event hotline (0458 247 212) by 6.45am on the days of competition to confirm location and running order.
 
Regarded as one of the major stepping stones in the development of young Australian surfers, the 10-event Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu caters for surfers from Under 8 to Under 14 and will be held in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia over summer. The prestigious event series will also return to Tasmania in 2017/18.
 
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 Surf Camp at the Hurley 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.
 
Each entrant will also receive a Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu t-shirt for entering, plus a Wahu beach product and there will be plenty of Wahu beach games and giveaways at each event.
 
The Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu have helped to launch the careers of many of Australia's most promising junior surfers with almost 800 children set to take part in the 2017/18 event series.
 
Previous champions include Matt Banting, Jacob Willcox, Luke Hynd, Eli Steele, Kai Hing, Chris Zaffis, Quinn Bruce, Ellie-Jean Coffey, Macy Callaghan, Isabella Nichols, Holly Wawn and Laura Poncini.
 
Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps Presented by Wahu 2017/2018 Series Schedule:
EVENT 1 - Northern Beaches, NSW - Sept 9 - 10, 2017
EVENT 2 - Cronulla, NSW - Oct 14 - 15, 2017
EVENT 3 - Kiama, NSW - Oct 21 - 22, 2017
EVENT 4 - Coffs Harbour, NSW - Oct 28 - 29, 2017
EVENT 5 - Ocean Grove, Vic - Nov 11 - 12, 2017
EVENT 6 - Fleurieu Peninsula, SA - Nov 18, 2017
EVENT 7 - Sunshine Coast, Qld - Dec 9 - 10, 2017
EVENT 8 - Gold Coast, Qld - Jan 10 - 11, 2018
EVENT 9 -Trigg, WA - Jan 27 - 28, 2018
EVENT 10 - Clifton Beach, Tas - Feb 24, 2018

The final NSW based Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp presented by Wahu for the year has wrapped up in climatic style with seven new champions being crowned.

 

Touma Cameron (Suffolk Park, NSW) took down a hotly contested field to claim the Under-14 Boys. Cameron never dropped a heat over the duration of his Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp campaign, consistently posting solid heat totals for his light-footed snaps and carves. Cameron was able to claim the final with a two-wave total of 14.30 (out of a possible 20 points).

 

The Under-14 Girls adapted to the dropping swell, opting to surf a righthander to the south of the prime contest bank. Charlize Everitt (Boomerang Beach, NSW) was able to claim the top spot on the dais thanks to a handful of impressive turns, which propelled her ahead of her competition.

 

In what has been a clean sweep of victories across all NSW based Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu, Fletcher Kelleher (Freshwater, NSW) was able to claim his fourth Under-12 Boys title from as many events. Kelleher used his backhand to post a respectable 11.6 heat total to get the win ahead of Dane Henry (Fingal Head, NSW), Joel Emery (Angourie, NSW) and Jai Jackson (Sawtell, NSW) who claimed second, third and fourth respectively.

 

Over 100 competitors competed in the two-day event, which saw some of the nation's most promising young surfers competing for a range of prizes, both in and out of the water.

 

Regarded as one of the major stepping stones in the development of young Australian surfers, the 10-event Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu caters for surfers from Under 8 to Under 14 and will be held in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia over summer. The prestigious event series will also return to Tasmania in 2017/18.

Woolworths Fresh Wave Award photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW

 

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 Surf Camp at the Hurley 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.

 

Each entrant will also receive a Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu t-shirt for entering, plus a Wahu beach product and there will be plenty of Wahu beach games and giveaways at each event.

 

The Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps presented by Wahu have helped to launch the careers of many of Australia's most promising junior surfers with almost 800 children set to take part in the 2017/18 event series.

 

Previous champions include Matt Banting, Jacob Willcox, Luke Hynd, Eli Steele, Kai Hing, Chris Zaffis, Quinn Bruce, Ellie-Jean Coffey, Macy Callaghan, Isabella Nichols, Holly Wawn and Laura Poncini.

1 – Touma Cameron (Suffolk Park, NSW)

2 – Nate Hopkins (Noraville,  NSW)

3 – Jack O’Brien (Lennox Head, NSW)

4 -  Oscar Salt (Boomerang Beach, NSW)

Under 14 Boys - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW

1 – Charlize Everitt (Boomerang Beach, NSW)

2 – Coral Fujino (Palm Beach, Qld)

3 – Rosie Smart (Sawtell, NSW)

4 -  Lucy Green (Taree, NSW)

1 – Fletcher Kelleher (Freshwater, NSW)

2 – Dane Henry (Fingal Head, NSW)

3 – Joel Emery (Angourie, NSW)

4 -  Jai Jackson (Sawtell, NSW)

1 – Imojen Enfield (Port Macquarie, NSW)

2 – Amarnie Barber (Noosa Heads, Qld)

3 – Leila Salt (Boomerang Beach, NSW)

4 -  Ruby Barber (Noosa Heads, Qld)

1 – Mitchell Peterson (Noosaville, Qld)

2 – Max Mcgillivray (Evans Head, NSW)

3 – Will Martin (Coffs Harbour, NSW)

4 -  Pheonix Visscher (Redhead, NSW)

1 – Ruby Trew (Seaforth, NSW)

2 – Mia Baker (Lennox Head, NSW)

3 – Poppy Morrison (Lennox Head, NSW)

4 -  Ocea Curtis (Lennox Head, NSW)

1 – Fletcher O’Sullivan (Sawtell, NSW)

2 – Harper McIntosh (Toormina, NSW)

3 – Malakai Carson (Old Bar, NSW)

4 -  Keke Brain (Lennox Head, NSW)