General Information

The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred presented by the the Royal St Andrews Hotel

The Rip Curl GromSearch is part of a popular junior surfing series along the South African coastline The U16 division is the prime division in this series, and the U16 Boy and Girl ultimate winners are eligible to compete in the Rip Curl International GromSearch later in the year. The venue for the international finals have yet to be announced. Over the last two years the South African winners have attended events in Bali and in France. The tournament has U12, U14, U16 and U18 Boys and Girls divisions.

The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred will take place at East Beach, Port Alfred, on 3/4 April, with the U16 finals held over until Monday 6 April. It is a Surfing South Africa event, presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest. 

The Benchmark in Junior Surfing

The Rip Curl GromSearch has earned its status as the benchmark for junior competitive surfing worldwide. Since launching in 1999, the series has provided more than 40,000 surfers aged 16 and under with a clear pathway into structured, high-performance competition.

Its alumni list reads like a roll call of modern surfing excellence. WSL World Champions Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, and Gabriel Medina all progressed through the GromSearch ranks. Championship Tour names such as Erin Brooks, Brisa Hennessy, Samuel Pupo, and Leonardo Fioravanti also sharpened their competitive edge in this arena.

For more than two decades, GromSearch has identified talent early, exposed it to pressure, and helped shape the next generation of professional surfers.

This year is the fourth year that the GromSearch is returning to Port Alfred, and it is the nucleus around which the Port Alfred Easter Festival was formed. The Royal St Andrews Hotel is one of the biggest supporters of junior surfing in South Africa.