Torquay crowns ‘Top Groms’ for 2021

THE Woolworths Surfer Groms Competition in Torquay has crowned its Under 14 champions with one of the Surf Coast’s own taking home the boys division.

Jan Juc’s Jarvis Barrow and Mornington’s Sara Hickson took out the top honours at last weekend’s Groms Competition while Rose Holand (Dromana, under 12 Girls), Kai Coleman (Mount Duneed, under 12 Boys), Scarlett Rennie (Phillip Island, under 10 Girls) and Max Murray (Jan Juc, under 10 Boys and under 8 Mixed) were crowned winners in their respective age groups.

Barrow got off on the right foot with a magical 7.50 ride before stringing together another 7.00 set during the final.

“It’s awesome to get the win,” Barrow said.

“I’m stoked to go up to the camp up at the High-Performance Centre (HPC). It should be heaps of fun to surf with all the other winners.”

Fellow Jan Juc resident Jack Lindsay placed runner-up on a heat total of 12.10 points. Lincoln Dell (Malua Bay, NSW) was in third on 10.67 points with Ocean Grove’s Oscar Kerr in fourth on 9.20 points.

Mornington’s current Under 14 state champion in Hickson was dominant on final day scoring 17.67 points (out of a possible 20) in her semi-final.

She then backed it up with a 17.17 heat total in the final to put all other competitors into a combination situation.

“All of the girls were ripping out there. It was a super fun contest and I’m stoked to win,” Hickson said.

“The conditions were still fun even though it was onshore. It’s going to be cool to go up to the HPC. I have been up before and it’s so much fun.”

Placing in second was Lillian Bassed from Sandy Point on 8.93 points. Torquay’s Dune Pruvot was in third on 6.00 points with Maeve Wilkinson (Inverloch) in fourth on 4.87 points.

Both Hickson and Barrow will now head up to northern NSW to attend an all-expenses-paid, three-day Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps National Final Surf Camp at the Surfing Australia High-Performance Centre.

The Woolworths Surfer Groms Comps is the only Australian event series catering for the increasing number of the country’s ‘micro-groms’, with boys and girls preparing to compete in Under-8, Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 divisions.