Grommets galore – the future of Australian surfing is in safe hands. Photo: Ness Moore

At Lennox Head’s recent Oz Grom competition, Ness Moore found the future of surfing in Australia is in safe hands…

Flying along at high speed, the pint-sized grommet launches himself at the lip of the wave – projecting high into the air. With poise and grace he flies, weightless – board and boy, sea and sky. He’s made it and he’s only 10.

The Skullcandy Oz Grom Open, held on seven-mile beach at Lennox Head, not far from Byron Bay,  is a vibrant showcase of some of our best junior surfers. With competitors flying in from all corners of the world, the competition is a highlight on the junior circuit, and it seems Australian surfing is set to continue its dominance throughout the world.

Blonde haired grommets roam the event site, surfboards and skateboards scatter the shoreline. It’s a festival of fun and everyone’s invited. Don’t be fooled though. These young competitors mean business. They’re here to win – with style and grace beyond their years, they perform aerials, executing exciting new-age manoeuvres –  they’ve got it all covered. They’re agile, fast and know how to smash a lip to pieces. They’re all the best surfers combined. A dash of Dane, a taste of Taj, a heap of Kelly and a mountain of Medina. These kids have grown up watching the best of the best, now they’re going to be even better and with kids as young as seven surfing with such prowess, one can only speculate on the heights they will reach.

Beautiful weather and great waves made for a perfect day out. Photo: Ness Moore

One such competitor who is aiming for big things is 12-year-old Finn Cox. Finn has been surfing for six years and competing for two years, and this year he made it into the quarter-finals of the under-12 division of the Skullcandy grommet open. “I love being out in the water surfing,” Finn says, “although my favourite wave is ‘Gallows’, back in Margaret River which is my home town.” Finn’s long-term ambition is to become a full-time professional surfer.

12-year-old Finn Cox. Photo: Ness Moore

The waves were perfect for this year’s event. Sandbanks lined up with right and left-handers peeling off up and down the beach. The kids were stoked. The waves were fun, not too big, not too small. They had shape and offered up sections to perform upon. Mother Nature was smiling – along with the rest of us.

These kids were as impressive out of the water as in it. Professional all the way, one young man having been knocked out in the quarter-finals personally congratulated his opponents, shaking their hands and complimenting them on a heat well surfed. Talent and manners – it doesn’t get any better than that.

To see this year’s results and find out how you can be a part of next year’s event, visit www.skullcandyozgromopen.com.au

Ness Moore (aka The Lioness https://thelioness.com.au/)

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