The Hunter's up-and-coming junior surfers put their best foot forward during the Spring school holiday to impress judges in grommet surf competitions.
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Winding up the break last week, on October 11 and 12, was the Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp where Kyla Renes, Phoenix Visscher, Lilah Pearce and Eden Hasson - representing the Hunter - had top four performances in their age categories.
This followed on from the Hurley BL's Blast Off, the state's largest school holiday coaching program and surfing championship, where Newcastle's Manning Gregory placed second in the under-14 boys and Port Stephens product Jimmi Hill won the under-12 boys, and the 2019 NSW Rip Curl GromSearch.
The GromSearch, considered to be one of Australia's premier grommet events, was staged in Newcastle October 5-8.
Jimmi, from Boat Harbour, came third in the under-12 boys - the only Hunter region surfer to claim a top four placing across the six age groups.
"I was pretty happy with that," Jimmi said. "Especially because it was my first time doing that comp."
Sunny Whitby-Otto and Gus Nicholson (Merewether), Cooper Puttergill and Jordan Liackman (Caves Beach) and Mike Clayton-Brown (Corlette, Port Stephens) impressed in the under-16 boys heats of the GromSearch but were unable to find a podium finish.
Round three of the GromSearch will he held on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia on November 2-3.
The region's best young surfers were in Coffs Harbour last week for round four of the Woolworths grom comp.
After two days of competition, Kyla (Swansea) placed third in the under-12 girls, Phoenix (Newcastle) placed second in the under-12 boys, Lilah (Merewether) second in the under-14 girls and Eden (Boat Harbour) fourth in the under-14 boys.
The next round in the Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp will be held on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia from October 26.
The Blast Off, founded by 1988 world champion Barton Lynch, was at capacity again this year with 335 grommets participating in championship events across 10 age groups (under-6 up to under-14 boys and girls) at Whale Beach in Sydney October 1-4.
There were 62 competitors in the under-14 boys and 72 in the under-12 boys championships. Manning placed first in his round one heat and fourth in round three. He rallied for a first place finish in the semi-final. Jimmi won his two heats, semi-final and final.
Manning placed second to Queensland's Braxton Holmstrom. Australian junior champion Hughie Vaughan from Bateau Bay placed third.
