Congratulations to the winners of the Rip Curl GromSearch Portugal! The second European stop, organized in collaboration with the ASCC (Associação de Surf da Costa de Caparica) and the FPS (Portuguese Surfing Federation), was held on April 7th, 8th, and 9th in Costa da Caparica, near Lisbon.
With medium-sized waves at the beginning of the week and stronger conditions for the finals, the young Portuguese surfers clearly showed they are part of the next generation of European surf talent.
On the first day, the waves were a bit inconsistent, but the sets remained solid around 1m. Day two started off with small conditions but ended with powerful 1.5m sets, pushing the young riders to give it their all. In the Under-16 division, Jaime Veselko impressed everyone with a spectacular air on a wave scored 9.50 – a performance that also earned him the Oakley Best Heat Score award. The third and final day delivered swell just as solid as the day before, setting the stage for an exciting showdown in the finals.
But the GromSearch is more than just a surf comp – it’s a whole vibe. Between heats, the kids got to hang out with Francisco Alves (@xicobyxico), former pro surfer and social media personality, create artwork from plastic waste with Skeleton Sea, or try to beat their best score on the Oakley balance board.
Since its creation in 1999, the Rip Curl GromSearch has helped uncover many of the world’s top surfing talents. Former competitors include WSL champions and Olympic medalists such as Gabriel Medina (3x world champion), Stephanie Gilmore (8x world champion), Kauli Vaast and Caroline Marks (2024 Olympic champions).
In Portugal and beyond, Groms return every year with the same motivation: to push their limits, progress, and maybe one day earn their place on the Tour.
U12 Girls
1. Sienna Rodrigues
2. Nemina Hanssen
3. Stella Raby
4. Salomé Gonçalves
U14 Girls
1. Ana Mel
2. Suri Rodrigues
3. Rosário Magalhães
4. Marta Cabral
U16 Girls
1. Francisca Miranda
2. Ana Mel
3. Mafalda Cunha
4. Inês Piedade
U12 Boys
1. Levi Hummel
2. Nikolai Fleiss
3. Oliver Fleiss
4. David Mendonça
U14 Boys
1. Zé Maria Antunes
2. Francisco Santos
3. Khai Tanguay
4. Nikolai Fleiss
U16 Boys
1. Jaime Veselko
2. Manuel Pirujinho
3. Jarko Kreuzeder
4. Francisco Santos
