Australia's best and most promising young surfers will call the Illawarra region home next week when they contest the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final.
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Over 50 aspiring professional surfers from all over the country will contest the three-day event, which will run in the Illawarra region this week and will finish on Thursday January 16.
Locals to watch are Keira Buckpitt from Culburra Beach and Koby Jackson from Lake Tabourie are the two of the locals to watch.
After a solid 2019, Nyxie Ryan (Lennox Head, NSW) is eager to finish her final GromSearch with a bang in the Illawarra region.
"The Rip Curl GromSearch series have been some of the funnest events I've ever competed in and I can't believe that I'll be too old to surf in them after this event," Ryan said.
"In the past, we've got some really fun waves in the Illawarra region, so hopefully it delivers again when the final kicks off. I can't wait."
The main base for the National Final of the Rip Curl GromSearch is Woonoona and Sandon Point with backup locations of Bellambi, Port Kembla and Thirroul.
The list of previous GromSearch winners illustrates the significant history of the series, with World Surf League (WSL) competitors Gabriel Medina (Brazil), Tyler Wright (Australia), Owen Wright (Australia), Matt Wilkinson (Australia), Jordy Smith (South Africa), Kolohe Andino (USA) and Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia) among the list of former competitors and GromSearch International Final Champions.
The Australian series allows surfers from around the country to compete against their contemporaries in a fun and engaging environment.
Each result in the four-event series is awarded points that count towards a surfer's GromSearch National ranking, giving participants across the country the opportunity to compare their performances against their peers.
After the last event in Queensland, the top-ranked surfers qualify for the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final (in their respective divisions), where they then compete for the chance to become the Australian GromSearch Champion.
The National Champion then represents Australia at the Rip Curl GromSearch International Final, held at a new location around the globe each year, against the best junior surfers from each participating country.
The 2019 Rip Curl GromSearch series is supported by managing partners Surfing Australia and Surfing NSW.