South African junior surfer Emily Jenkinson from Kommetjie delivered a blistering performance at the Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals in Hossegor, France, finishing second overall in the Premier Girls division at Capbreton in Hossegor, France, on Thursday, 6 November 2025.
Competing against the world’s best U16 surfers, Jenkinson advanced through multiple rounds to reach the prestigious final held in powerful five to six-foot offshore conditions at Le Santocha, in Capbreton.
The event, presented by SunBum and Citroën, drew the top GromSearch finalists from across Australia, Brazil, Portugal, the USA, and South Africa.
Jenkinson’s runner-up finish marks an incredible international result by a South African junior surfer. Her smooth, powerful rail surfing and confident composure in heavy French beach-break waves earned strong scores throughout the event.
The women’s title went to Australia’s Eliza Richardson, who was consistent throughout the contest 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!”
Rip Curl GromSearch International Silver Medalist, Emily Jenkinson
“The conditions were really tricky, with mostly closeouts,” said Jenkinson, “And I only managed to find one good wave, but I’m proud of how I surfed and how the contest went overall.”
“France has been amazing. The waves are powerful, there are barrels everywhere, and the water feels warm compared to home. Staying at the Rip Curl house has been such a cool experience, and it’s been great getting to know all the other girls. It’s just been an incredible trip all round.”
“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, Rip Curl South Africa CEO. “A second place at this level shows just how much talent is coming out of South Africa right now.”
The impact of the GromSearch series over the past 26 years is undeniable:
- 2025 WSL World Tour: Over 60% of current CT athletes are former GromSearch winners.
- Olympic Games: Five of the six medalists at the last two Olympic Games competed in Rip Curl GromSearch.
- WSL World Champions: The last 18 WSL Women’s World Titles have been won by GromSearch finalists.
Between heats, the Hossegor crowd was treated to a festival of surfing from the Rip Curl Dream Team, with Molly Picklum, Crosby Colapinto, Tom Curren, Tya Zebrowski, Lukas Skinner, Kyllian Guerin, and Justin Becret lighting up the lineup at Le Santocha.
Over the two-day event, newly crowned 2025 World Champion Molly Picklum also joined the live webcast, interviewing finalists alongside CT rider Crosby Colapinto, multiple world champion Tom Curren, 2024 GromSearch winner Lukas Skinner, and WSL commentator Paul Evans.
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The Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals have long been a launchpad for future world-class surfers. Past champions include Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, and Gabriel Medina.
Rip Curl South Africa congratulates Emily Jenkinson on her impressive runner-up finish in France. It’s a great achievement for her and another strong showing for South African junior surfing on the world stage.
Original Copy: Craig Jarvis for Rip Curl South Africa, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: South African junior surfer Emily Jenkinson from Kommetjie delivered a blistering performance at the Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals in Hossegor, France, finishing second overall in the Premier Girls division at Capbreton in Hossegor, France, on Thursday, 6 November 2025. All Photos: Riblanc via Rip Curl GromSearch
Photo 2 Caption: Jenkinson (right) congratulates Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals gold champion Eliza Richardson, after the final siren in France.
