<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yorkes delivered outstanding waves allowing for the country’s best junior surfers to show their wares and compete for the coveted Rip Curl GromSearch Titles. Over 60 interstate surfers travelled to SA to join local groms and battle it out.<strong> Jamie Thompson </strong>(NSW) was in great form all event and claimed victory in the 16 & Under Boys final. Using a mix of innovative and powerful surfing he took out his second GromSearch Title for the year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jamie took on three of the best surfers of the event, <strong>Benny Wilson </strong>(NSW), <strong>Jed Gradisen</strong>(WA) and local surfer <strong>Digby Tooze </strong>(SA) in what was a hotly contested affair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I’m really stoked to have won, I love coming to Yorkes it’s such a great place and always delivers fantastic surf,” and thanks to Surfing South Australia for putting on a great event,” said Thompson.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 16 and Under Girls division went to <strong>Arabella Wilson </strong>(VIC) who was on form all weekend. Arabella took on some quality opposition defeating <strong>Lilly Macdonald </strong>(NSW), <strong>Jazz Wylie</strong> (VIC) and <strong>Mackenzie Davidson</strong> (NSW).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“This is a great result for me,” said Wilson. “I just want to say thanks to all the girls in the final and all my friends and family for their support.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Winter Vincent </strong>(NSW) shone in the 14 & Under Boys dominating all heats including the final. One of the event standouts, Winter showed that he is one to watch in the future surfing way beyond his years. He took on <strong>Lennix Smith</strong> (NSW), <strong>Charlie Mahoney</strong> (VIC) and <strong>Dom Thomas</strong> (NSW) and despite their best efforts, Vincent was unstoppable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Poppy Corbett</strong> (VIC) took the win in the 14 & Under Girls final with a great display of surfing taking out rivals <strong>Jazz Wylie</strong> (VIC),<strong> Cedar Leigh-Jones</strong> (NSW) and<strong> Lucy Tandler</strong>(QLD).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 12 & Under Boys went to young shredder<strong> Fletcher Kelleher </strong>(NSW) beating <strong>Jack Macdonald </strong>(NSW), <strong>Dane Dujic </strong>(NSW) and <strong>Jerry Kelly </strong>(VIC). <strong>Sarsha Pancic</strong> (VIC) took the 12 & Under Girls with local favourite<strong> Maia Taite </strong>(SA) placing second leaving <strong>Sarah Hickson</strong> (VIC) and<strong> Leila Salt </strong>(NSW) in 3rd and 4th respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Winter Vincent</strong> and <strong>Jazz Wiley</strong> received the Flight Centre ‘Outstanding Performance Awards’ for their amazing surfing throughout the event. Flight Centre Rising Star awards went to young <strong>Maia Taite</strong> and <strong>Jack Macdonald</strong> who showed that they will be forces to reckon with in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Best local surfer awards went to <strong>King Cairns</strong> who absolutely ripped all event and was a standout on the ledge in the free surfs and local star <strong>Digby Tooze </strong>who was another standout at this year’s competition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After events in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia the RipCurl GromSearch continues next on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2018 marks the Rip Curl GromSearch's 20th anniversary, making it one of the longest junior surfing series on the world. Over the years it has become a crucial stepping-stone in the development of junior surfers across the planet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">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.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">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 in each participating country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RIP CURL GROMSEARCH – SOUTH AUSTRALIA FINAL RESULTS:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>16 & Under Boys:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Jamie Thompson (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Benny Wilson (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Jed Gradisen (WA)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Digby Tooze ( SA)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>16 & Under Girls:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Arabella Wilson (VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Lily Macdonald (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Jazz Wylie (VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Mackenzie Davidson (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>14 & Under Boys:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Winter Vincent (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Lennix Smith(NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Charlie Mahoney(VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Dom Thomas (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>14 & Under Girls:</strong><br /></strong></p><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Poppy Corbett(VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Jazz Wylie(VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Cedar Leigh Jones (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Lucy Tandler (QLD)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>12 & Under Boys:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Fletcher Kelleher(NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Jack MacDonald(NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Dane Dujic(NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Jerry Kelly(VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>12 & Under Girls:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – Sarsha Pancic (VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 – Maia Taite(SA)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – Sarah Hickson(VIC)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 – Leila Salt (NSW)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Dates and locations for the 2018/19 GromSearch Series are:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">EVENT 1 – Jan Juc, VIC - Sept 22 – 24, 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">EVENT 2 – Newcastle, NSW - Sept 29 – Oct 2, 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">EVENT 3 – Perth, WA - Oct 5 – 7, 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">EVENT 4 – Yorke Peninsula, SA - Oct 27 – 28, 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">EVENT 5 – Sunshine Coast, QLD - Dec 14 – 18, 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">National Final – Wonoona, NSW – January 15-17, 2019 </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 2018 Rip Curl GromSearch series is presented by FLIGHT CENTRE, and proudly supported by Surfing Australia and Surfing SA.Heat Draws, formats and Results can be found on the Surfing South Australia website events page.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>