Solid Swells and 240 Great young Surfers to hit Lennox Head for Rusty Gromfest

(HEAT DRAW NOW UP)

A very solid easterly swell is set to unload on NSW’s far north coast right on time for the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest which begins tomorrow, Friday July 10th, with a waiting period running through to Tuesday the 14th of July.

Most of Australia’s and many of the world’s best young surfers from Tahiti, Hawaii, New Zealand, USA, Ireland, England, Indonesia and Japan will line up in conditions that are certain to test not just all these great young athletes surfing skills but also their all round ocean skills.

Contest Director Max Perrot commented on the coming swell saying, “Once again Rusty Gromfest will deliver surf and I’m monitoring the weather and swell forecasts closely and I’m utilizing the expertise of some long time local surfers to ensure we get the best of the conditions across the five day waiting period.”

Rusty Gromfest is the original and most prestigious grommet event in the world and the horde of young surfers heading to Lennox Head will all be hoping to enhance their careers in a big way by making the final and hopefully winning a Rusty Gromfest title.

The line–up is awesome with the likes of Tyler Wright (Lennox Head), Matt Banting (Port Macquarie) and Jack Robinson (Margaret River) facing a top line field of internationals along with many relatively unknown but rapidly emerging young talents from Australia wide.

Competitors will meet at 7:00am Friday morning on the beach at central Lennox Head for a call on the day one location and schedule with the event having the luxury of choosing a location across a great variety of quality surf spots in the area.

Great young surfers chasing prestigious Rusty Gromfest Titles is eyeballed by all in the surfing world.

Daily press releases will be forwarded from Rusty Gromfest along with high quality digital complimentary images.

Results, news and press releases will be constantly updated on www.surfingaustralia.com

Rusty Gromfest is made possible thanks to the support of Rusty, FCS, Otis, Waves Magazine, Bandit FM, NBN and The Northern Star.

All Heat Draws and Day One Format Available

Go to rusty.com.au and click on the gromfest button…

The Original and Best Rusty Gromfest Set for Lennox Head with a Blockbuster Field

Rusty Gromfest Contender

Two hundred and forty of the world’s best sixteen year and under Boy and Girl surfers are set to descend on the idyllic beaches surrounding Lennox Head for the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest which will begin on Friday July 10th.
Rusty Gromfest is renown globally and has a history of winners unmatched in grommet surfing events which includes Association of Surfing Professional (ASP) world champions Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore along with exciting stars of the sport like Julian Wilson, Sally Fitzgibbons and Owen Wright.
This year’s finalists will again reveal a window into the future stars of Australian surfing as the event exposes exciting new emerging surfers.
A small sample of the known talents includes surfers like Sol Periera-Ryan (QLD/Gold Coast), Josh Sherwell (Mooloolaba/Sunshine Coast Qld), Dylan Cummings (NSW Central Coast), Bronte Macauley (Margaret River WA), Nikki Van Dijk (Victoria/Phillip Island) along with local surfer Tyler Wright (Lennox Head NSW) who is the current International Surfing Association (ISA) under 18 World Champion and the ASP Beachley Classic World Tour event champion!
Add a horde of international surfers from Tahiti, Hawaii, New Zealand, USA, Ireland, England, Indonesia and Japan, along with the unknown youngsters from all states of Australia.
Enjoying the perfect winter surfing climate and the quality beachbreaks surrounding Lennox Head, the surfing will be dynamic, progressive, explosive and super enthusiastic.
Great young surfers and perfect conditions is why Rusty Gromfest is eyeballed by all in the surfing world.
Daily press releases will be forwarded from Rusty Gromfest along with high quality digital complimentary images.
Results, news and press releases will be constantly updated on www.surfingaustralia.com
Rusty Gromfest is made possible thanks to the support of Rusty, FCS, Otis, Waves Magazine, Bandit FM, NBN and The Northern Star.

Count Down

The count down is on for the start of the Rusty Gromfest, some good conditions have been forecasted, check out Coastalwatch’s cam at the Lennox beachies where the comp is usually held – http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=2300&state=NSW&t=7:59:41%20PM&camName=Lennox%20Head%20Beach

See ya soon!

Gromfest Entry Confirmations

Gromfest confirmation letters have been posted, keep your eye out for them.

LATE WITHDRAWALS – Please Read
If anyone who has entered is injured, sick or can’t make the comp please email contest organiser Max Perrot on 0427 875 066

Good luck, see you soon….

Gromfest 2009 !!

The Rusty Gromfest is back on and in its 14th year. Gromfest is the most prestigious 16 and under boys and girls surfing event in the world and to take down a Gromfest title opens a world of opportunities such as its done for past winners like Mick Fanning & Steph Gilmore.

Gromfest 2009 is set to take on a new challenge with a change to the event’s format.  Contest organisers have taken a leaf out of the ASP “Event Handbook” and will adopt the same theory as the ASP.  World Tour events are changing their formats to shorter events to fit in with available swell cycles, the primary reason for the change as it greatly improves the odds of good surf throughout the comp. The Rusty Gromfest 2009 will run for 3 days with a 5 day waiting period from the 10th to the 14th of July to maximise the best possible conditions for competitors. The contest format of running 2 simultaneous heats on 2 separate banks will remain the same with the finals being held on one bank.

Entries are now closed – see you at the event!

Gromfest Story out in Waves Mag…!!

Check out the recent issue of Sept Waves – 4 pages of Gromfest pics and info.

RUSTY GROMFEST 2009

10th – 14th July.

Do you have any idea’s for 2009.??

Would you like to see something different at Gromfest..?

What did you think about 2008..?

Send your thoughts to lou@rusty.com.au

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ….!!!

Dylan Osmetti from Culburra Beach.

The winner of a brand new Rusty Stick.

The Barrel was set up at Gromfest across the 4 days of the event – Dylans Mum cut out the entry from the Northern Star paper and put him in the draw…!

Well done Dylan..!  (and thanks Mum)..

Champions crowned at prestigious Rusty Gromfest

Six champions were crowned on the final day of competition at the Rusty Gromfest today, catapulting their names, and careers, to surfing folklore.In deteriorating 1m conditions at Lennox Head competitors took the standard to another level, showing skill, poise and maturity.

The blue ribbon divisions, the 16 years boys and gilrs, were taken out by Coolangatta’s  wonder-kid Jack Freestone and Newcastle’s rising star Phillipa Anderson.

Freestone, who didn’t catch a wave until four minutes remaining on the clock in the final, was cool under pressure, meticulously reeling his counterparts in with ease.

“I just couldn’t get a wave,” Freestone said.

“I didn’t freak out, I just stayed calm and waited for the right wave and it paid off in the end.”

Heralding his place amongst the best juniors in world, Freestone backed up his win at the Occy Grom Comp with a resounding victory at the Rusty Gromfest.

“I never dreamed that I could win both events,” he admitted after defeating Mitchell Baker (Cowes, VIC), Guillermo Satt (Chile) and Jake Sylvester (Bar Beach, NSW) in the final.

“It’s just an amazing feeling – I’m so stoked right now.”

Phillipa Anderson (Newcastle, NSW) was victorious in the under 16 years division, capping off an outstanding Rusty Gromfest campaign.

“I’m so stoked,” she said after accruing 10.40 (out of a possible 20) in the final.

After finishing second last year in same division, Anderson was ecstatic to go one better.

“I finished second last year. It was definitely my goal to take it out this year, to do it is amazing.”

“The standard is so high and with all the international crew it makes it such a good event,” Anderson added.

Georgia Fish (Flinders, VIC), Lyla Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) and Naomi Stevic (Castaways, QLD) finished second, third and fourth respectively.

Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW) confirmed the buzz surrounding his emerging superstar status with yet another big junior title.

Surfing immaculately on his forehand throughout, Banting accrued a score of 16.50 (out of a possible 20) including an impressive nine-point ride that secured his place on the prestigious honour roll ahead of a class field including Suffolk Park’s Sol Bailey, Coolangatta’s Harry Wheeler and Narrabeen’s Cooper Chapman taking the minor positions respectively.

Fellow superstar Tyler Wright (Culburra Beach, NSW) continued her dominance of junior female surfing, with a decisive victory in the under 14 girls.

Dominant throughout the entire event, Wright was pushed all the way by Sarah Mason (Tugun, QLD), Manuel Hereiti (Tahiti) and Eden Putland (Currumbin Waters, QLD), but was just unstoppable in the end.
Karelle Poppke (Tahiti) took out the under 12 years girls division with a commanding display of innovative surfing.

Accruing a total heat score of 13.65 (out of a possible 20), Poppke accounted for Zoe Clarke (Jan Juc, VIC), Laura Poncini (Moffat Beach, QLD) and Olivia Wheeler (Coolangatta, QLD) who finished second, third and fourth respectively.

In the 12 years boys division it was another international competitor taking home the trophy as South African Benji Brand won the hotly contested final.

Brand was a standout throughout the entire event, using a powerful repertoire to take the title from event favourite Michael Wright (Culburra Beach, NSW), Nic Doran (Caloundra, QLD) and 10-year-old ace Jack Robinson (Margaret River, WA).