If there’s a surfing competition somewhere around the world, chances are there are Kaua‘i groms competing in it. It’s not a secret to many in the surfing world that many great surfers came from Hawai‘i. The famous Bruce and Andy
If there’s a surfing competition somewhere around the world, chances are there are Kaua‘i groms competing in it.
It’s not a secret to many in the surfing world that many great surfers came from Hawai‘i. The famous Bruce and Andy Irons brothers, Keala Kennelly, Rochelle Ballard and recently added to the list of surfing greats, Roy Powers, all started out as groms, or young surfers.
Alana Blanchard, Koa and Alex Smith and Dylan Goodale are all starting to make such big names for themselves by winning competitions or endorsements that its hard to think they are still in their teens or younger.
Last year proved to be such a good year for Kaua‘i’s groms that its hard to track everyone’s success, but here’s a look back at last year.
In February, the Irons brothers hosted their sixth annual Irons Brothers Pine Trees Classic Surf Contest in Hanalei to much success. More than 100 surfers showed up to surf the 1- to 3-foot waves. Brianna Cope won the girls 11 to 12 division while Keola Carreira won the boys. In the younger 9 to 10 division, Tatiana Watson-Webb took the girls division. Lucas Angulo took the boys division. For the Menehune 6 to 8, Mainei Kinimaka came out on top. Cope and Jesse Guglielmana were awarded the Most Outstanding Surfer award.
In March, Blanchard won the Cholo’s Women’s Pipeline Pro at Hale‘iwa. It was a Kaua‘i-dominated quarterfinal with Kaua‘i holding eight of the 16 spots. Blanchard beat out Bethany Hamilton, Gabi Cope, Melody Hass, Adriana Mendival, Mia Melamed and World Champions Tour surfers Kennelly and Ballard.
Blanchard would later go on to represent Hawai‘i, along with fellow North Shore surfers Leila Hurst and Goodale, in the Quik-silver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Portugal. The team finished in third place but first in the Aloha Tag team relay.
Then in September, Blanchard won the Rip Curl Girls Pro Junior in Spain, which earned her a wildcard entry for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Girls World Tour, also in Spain.
Goodale finished in the top six of every competition he entered. In June, he set a Quiksilver King of the Groms record of 7 “skins” to win the competition at Huntington Beach, Calif. At one point, Goodale was tied for the lead with his fellow surfing stars Jon Jon Florence, Nick Rupp, Victor Done, Keanu Asing and Nat Young. That win earned him a spot in the international King of the Groms event in France.
At the National Rip Curls GromSearch in California, Goodale took second in the 16 and Under Boys division behind Alex Smith.
Tyler Newton won a competition last year, winning the Rip Curl GromSearch International Championship back in April.
The Smith brothers also had a successful year. Alex’s started off in January when he stunned his fellow surfers in the Pipeline Monster Energy Pro on O‘ahu. Smith displayed tube-riding perfection in the closing moments of his 20 minute heat to post a perfect 10-point ride. He became the youngest ever to score a 10 in a main event.
Then in May, the brothers split up with Alex going to the Volcom National Championships in Newport Beach, Calif., and Koa going to Royal Pelagic, Mexico, with representatives for Nike 6.0. (Koa later shot a commercial for Nike 6.0 in Oregon.)
Both went on a trip to Bali and Mentawai Islands with Surfer Magazine. They ended the year in November, winning their respective divisions of the National Rip Curl GromSearch in Salt Creek, Calif.
Malia Manuel was at the same competition and won the 16 and Under Girls division. That category saw three Kaua‘i girls finish in the top four. Nage Melamed took fourth and Gabi Cope took third. Competitions start all over again this year.
