South Africa’s Emily Jenkinson Shines as Runner-Up at Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals

Hossegor, France – 6 November 2025: South African junior surfer Emily Jenkinson from Kommetjie delivered a standout performance at the Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals, finishing second overall in the Premier Girls division.

Competing against the world’s best under-16 surfers, Jenkinson advanced through multiple rounds to reach the prestigious final at Le Santocha, Capbreton, where powerful five- to six-foot offshore waves tested the field. The event, presented by SunBum and Citroën, brought together top GromSearch finalists from Australia, Brazil, Portugal, the USA, and South Africa.

Flying the South African Flag High

Jenkinson’s runner-up result marks an outstanding international achievement for South African junior surfing. Her smooth, powerful rail work and confident composure in the heavy French beach-break conditions earned strong scores throughout the event.

The title went to Eliza Richardson (Australia), who maintained consistent form to take the win ahead of Jenkinson.

“I’m super happy with my result. I honestly came in with no expectations, so making the final feels incredible,” said Jenkinson. “The conditions were tricky, with mostly closeouts, but I’m proud of how I surfed and how the contest went overall. France has been amazing — the waves are powerful, the water’s warm, and staying at the Rip Curl house with all the other girls has been such a cool experience.”

A Proud Moment for South African Surfing

“Emily has been one of the standouts of the South African Rip Curl GromSearch Series for the past few seasons, and to see her take that form onto the international stage is awesome,” said Stuart Daykin, CEO of Rip Curl South Africa. “A second place at this level shows just how much talent is coming out of South Africa right now.”

Fellow South African and Rip Curl team rider Kai Stubbs from Scarborough also represented the country with pride. Despite not progressing to the final rounds, Stubbs impressed in the men’s division with flashes of brilliance in earlier heats. The men’s title was claimed by Ocean Lancaster (Australia), who edged Brazil’s Arthur Vilar in a high-scoring final that featured the event’s top single-wave score of 9.33.

“It was an amazing event with some really strong competition,” said Stubbs. “We scored good waves for finals day, and the whole setup was next level. Overall, it was an incredible experience.”

A Festival of Surfing in France

Between heats, the Hossegor crowd was treated to a show from the Rip Curl Dream Team, featuring Molly Picklum, Crosby Colapinto, Tom Curren, Tya Zebrowski, Lukas Skinner, Kyllian Guerin, and Justin Becret. Newly crowned 2025 World Champion Molly Picklum also joined the live webcast alongside CT rider Colapinto, multiple world champion Curren, 2024 GromSearch winner Skinner, and WSL commentator Paul Evans — creating a true celebration of youth surfing.

Launching Future Champions

The Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals have long been a launchpad for world-class talent. Past champions include Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, and Gabriel Medina — proof of the event’s global impact on competitive surfing.

Rip Curl South Africa congratulated Jenkinson on her impressive result, calling it “another strong showing for South African junior surfing on the world stage.”

Over the event’s 26-year history, the GromSearch legacy speaks for itself:

• Over 60% of current WSL Championship Tour athletes are former GromSearch competitors.
• Five of six Olympic surfing medalists in the past two Games came through GromSearch.
• The last 18 WSL Women’s World Titles have all been won by former GromSearch finalists.

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