Join Miguel Blanco, Justin Becret, Janina Zeitler, Kai & Hans Odriozola, European under 16 Grom Search champion Lukas Skinner and Victoria Vergara around Morocco during what probably was the most busy week of competition in the country.
Go behind the scenes during the Rip Curl Pro Search event and find out who won the European Grom Search Final. #RipCurl #TheSearch #RipCurlPro #GromSearch
This years 2023 Rip Curl GromSearch started with a week of wild forecasts, swinging winds, raging swells & left us all wondering what exactly we would be dealing with. The surf gods were on our side – we were blessed with two days of sunshine and surf in an epic launch of the UK comp season, the groms on absolute top form, frothing to be back on the beach and donning the contest rash vests.
Contest organisers were dynamic with the event call, we knew it was ON but where exactly what a constant flux. On Friday the call for Saturday was made, to run at Great Western Beach, a beautiful amphitheatre cove in the town, as we sought out conditions that would be favourable for all competitors. A hive of activity and excitement on Saturday morning, families and friends set up on the beach in glorious Spring sunshine as 3ft sets rolled into the bay. The surfers put on a show, and every surfer got to get in the water to rack up scores.
With a dropping swell, Sunday the contest moved to Fistral Beach for an epic day two. The surfing was jam packed – the competition was fierce but on equal measure friendships formed between the young surfers who span the UK.
The U12 girls patiently waited all of Saturday for their chance to shine and impress the judges. A crew of girls who have competed in the Junior Series last year entered, but from the get-go it was Isabella O’Reilly from Northern Ireland showing the level. Charging through she impressed with 10.83 in the final and claimed Champion, Summer-Marie Moore placing second, a regular at the Grom Search comps, & young Kira Connolly in third, following her older brother’s Sebastian’s footsteps in competitive surfing.
It was ace to have 13 girls in the U14’s, including the tight knitted Newquay crew. Lila Skinner clearly wanted to add to her champion titles, placing 1st in the final. This age group show some talented surfing, and offer inspiration to the younger lot coming through, both in skills and personality, always congratulating one another!
Tight competition in the U16 girls, with Boe Howell and Katie David earning impressive scores in the Semi-finals, but when it came to final, it was Eva Blackford who found the open-faced waves and got the scores in and took champion.
U12 boys are full groms, you’ll always spot them on the beach having a great time with mischievous smiles. In the water, the focus turns on. Heats were tight from quarters through to finals, Kamiel Dereave placing on top, with Harvey Waters chasing after previous heat wins but as the buzzer went placing 2nd.
The U14s was a busy round of 22 surfers, Dylan Roose drawing attention of Team England coaches, impressing all the way through the contest and rightfully earning champion. It was tight between Isaac Friend and Reuben Wakely, separated by just 0.44, Isaac clinching 2nd. Sebastian Connolly placed 4th, him, and his sister Kira both proudly taking home trophies. We’ve also got to mention Wilbur Prisk – sadly he had to withdraw due to a broken wrist but spent the entire weekend cheering on his mates and supporting the whole U14 contingent for two big days of action.
The U16 boys was set to be an exciting division, many of these surfers represent their countries at international comps. Fynn Gillespie had his focus from the beginning to claim Champion for a consecutive year which he did with style and flair. Reen Bowden-Inoue was just behind, as these two surfers met in the quarter-finals and again in the finals, Reen coming out 2nd. Finley Donovan and Jago Tasker on the same track, just 0.3 separation, Finley just about taking 3rd on a buzzer beater heat.
Seth Hulley, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager for Surf EMEA, one of the major sponsors of this year’s series said: “On behalf of Oakley, we are proud of being the official eyewear partner to the Rip Curl Grom Search Series. The surf delivered for the groms, who put on a great display of surfing in the first event of the series and a positive weekend all round engaging with the gen z and Oakleys target market. Thanks to the event organizers on a well-run event and to Rip Curl on another great event on the Grom Search calendar.”
We caught up with Rip Curl who it’s a honour to deliver this event for. Coline Merlet, Event and Partnership Manager for Europe, who spent the weekend with us in Newquay, said “As the ultimate surfing company, we are always thrilled to witness the surfing skills & levels of the groms in each country. The UK youth certainly did not disappoint on the weekend, and we saw some great heats going down in ever changing conditions.
Running the GromSearch series every year is a great way for us to participate in the development of the sport. Indeed, our first intention is to offer a platform for all Under 16 surfers to show their skills, progress and competitiveness, all in a great atmosphere.
Beyond the competition, the weekend event was a great experience for participants, families and spectators alike thanks to Oakley, 2 minutes foundation & Pura Vida with a mix of beach games, product presentation and environmental awareness.
The Skindog surfboards test centre was a great success, giving everyone the chance to test out the local shapers’s surfboards and various FCS fin sets.
Finally, the Oakley highest score total prize of 500 €uros made the very talented Fynn Gillespie a very happy grown up grom.
We are looking forward to see all of the winners perform in the GromSearch European finals in Anglet in August 2023!”.
A huge thanks to Rip Curl for continuing their support to youth surfing with GromSearch. Thanks also to event partners, Oakley, 2 minute foundation, Pura Vida, Skindog Surfboards and FCS. A mega thanks to the beach owners for flexibility during the changing forecasts, Adam Griffiths and the team at Great Western Beach, and Jenny Briant and crew at Fistral Beach. Without our safety cover it wouldn’t be possible to run so a big thanks to ERA Adventures. Thank you also to all event staff and media team who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring our events to life.
Owen Wright (AUS), 33, announced he will retire from competitive surfing following one last event: the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 4 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT). Wright will wear the CT jersey for the last time as he’s accepted the wildcard spot at the world-renowned Bells Beach, allowing him to celebrate his amazing competitive career amongst friends, family, and the surfing world.
As a fixture on the CT for over a decade, Wright’s decision to retire comes after careful consideration and consultation with his family, coaches, and medical team. While he will no longer compete, he will continue pursuing his passion for surfing.
Wright began his surfing career at a young age and quickly established himself as one of the sport’s top talents. He achieved numerous notable accomplishments, including complete domination of the Australian Pro Junior Series before qualifying for the elite Championship Tour in 2010, where he claimed four event wins; the 2011 Quiksilver Pro New York, the 2015 Fiji Pro Cloudbreak, the 2017 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, and the 2019 Outerknown Tahiti Pro. Wright is one of only five surfers to score a perfect heat in competition, a feat earned just eight times in CT history. Wright did it twice, posting both of his perfect heat totals at the 2015 Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak.
In addition to his numerous accomplishments on the CT, Wright won the Bronze Medal for Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Wright, at surfing’s Olympic debut, showcased his skill and determination despite challenging conditions and immense pressure. While facing some of the world’s top surfers, he remained focused and composed throughout the competition, earning his place on the podium. Wright’s Bronze Medal win at the Tokyo Olympics was a significant achievement, and it further solidified his position as one of the most accomplished surfers of his generation.
“Owen has been a true ambassador for the sport of surfing, making history at both the CT and Olympic levels; we will greatly miss his presence on the Tour,” said WSL CEO Erik Logan. “We wish him all the best in his future pursuits and look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.”
Owen Wright shared more information about his decision to retire from the WSL Championship Tour:
“After my traumatic brain injury in 2015, my desire to prove to myself and the world that I could still be great and overcome this life-threatening incident inspired my recovery. Now eight years later, after challenges and accomplishments, I can look back happily, knowing I achieved that goal. Today, I am sharing the news that I will retire from competing at the highest level of surfing. My last event will be at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, where I look forward to celebrating my career and thanking my fans, friends, and family for all their support over the years.
“Given my recent history with head injuries and concussions, competing at some of the heaviest waves on the planet is no longer in the best interest of my long-term health. I excelled in these conditions over my career, but the risks associated with this type of surfing are too significant for someone in my position, given my medical history.
I will not retire from surfing altogether – just from surfing heavy waves. I hope to keep surfing for the rest of my life; I love surfing and thank the sport for everything I have.
“I hope that in this new chapter of my life, I can help be a voice for brain health and an advocate for athletes across all sports who have suffered TBIs and concussions throughout their careers.
“The WSL and Rip Curl have offered me the wildcard at this year’s Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. My family, medical team, and I agreed that this would be the perfect location for me to compete for the last time before hanging up the rashie. Competing in front of my friends, family, and fans for the last time at Bells will be amazing, and I’d like to thank my long- term sponsors Rip Curl, Allianz, Dometic, Ocean & Earth and the World Surf League for the opportunity and for all of the support they have given me throughout my career.”
Outside the water, Wright has been a driving force in the surfing community, advocating for awareness around TBIs and using his platform to promote positive change. This is an area Wright hopes to extend his work in now that he has stepped away from competition.
The surfing world thanks Owen Wright for his contributions and wishes him well in his future endeavors.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Springtime surfs at the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch Bay, an incredible five days of swell. Tuesday and Wednesday were out of control, giant at the Cliffs so the action shifted to Lahinch Bay. The charts started to line up for an epic day for Friday and the tides started to get a bit bigger which is what is needed to paddle into Aileens. It was a day to remember. Featuring Taz Knight, Russel Bierke and many others.
Join Joel Parkinson, Jai Glindeman, Lennix Smith, Juniper Harper and Finn Vette as they navigate their way through the rugged and remote coastlines of New Zealand.
Music: ‘Understand’ by Vaguess
Video: Dylan Roberts
The new issue is out. You can get it delivered to door for by hitting this link here.
Keep it real.
Welcome to our first issue of the new year and the 29th year of Carve! There’s a wide range of contributions that all have one thing in common – a genuine love of surfing. The people behind them aren’t doing it for fame, or money, ego, likes, clicks or views. It’s just for the pure joy of riding or documenting waves.
In a world that seems to be more divided than ever, focussed on sound bites, untruths, image and – let’s face it – some pretty weird TikTok videos, it’s really refreshing to put together an issue with articles from such a talented, yet grounded, bunch of stoked individuals. Even though we reach millions of people per week through our social media @carvemag with a few clicks, there still something special about spending the time and effort to put their photos and words into the mag you are holding. It just all looks, and feels, so much better in print than it ever will online.
In this issue we’ve got stories from Thurso at the top of Scotland, to Bournemouth in the south of England. From Donegal in the west, to Kamchatka in east Russia. From people who have found joy in 2 to 20 foot waves. From empty sessions on their own doorstep, to some of the hardest to reach shores on the planet. And from the world’s toughest proving ground, Pipeline Hawaii, to an off-grid beach in the middle of nowhere. Plus we have Wales’s first world champion, Llewellyn ‘Sponge’ Williams. And what legend he is.
Putting it all down on glossy paper somehow keeps things real, instead of reel. We like that, and hope you do too.
Steve
Editor
