Cape Town surfer Emily Jenkinson has booked her ticket to France after winning the South African title of the Rip Curl GromSearch at Seal Point in Cape St Francis, the Western Cape, on Sunday, 5 October 2025.
The Cape Town surfer will face up to regional competition winners from Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Europe, Indonesia, the United States and a wild card entry for the 2025 global crown, with news in last week that recently crowned World Surfing Champion Molly Picklum will be heading to France to join the action.
As the final day looked on Sunday, the surf had settled after Saturday’s solid afternoon surge, and the challenge for the Premier U16 Finals was finding two good waves.
Emily Jenkinson found her two, but Leah Lepront was hot on her heels, finding the corners, trying her best to swing enough backhand hooks to edge in front.
At the final buzzer, it was Lepront in front in the event scores, but Jenkinson in front in the GromSearch Series, and taking the overall win.
After her title at Seal Point, Jenkinson joins an illustrious cast of top South African women surfers, notably Leah’s elder sister, WSL surfer Louise Lepront, who qualified for South Africa and placed third at the world final in 2024, Olympic medallist Bianca Buitendag, who went on to win the global title in 2010, and Nikita Robb, who won the inaugural women’s world title in 2005.
The rest of the Rip Curl GromSearch Seal Point was a fight for the numbers in small, inconsistent, but highly contestable and fun conditions at the Point.
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The contest had definitely seen four seasons in three days, with strong easterly winds swinging around to the west, swell going from the east direction, to south, to a mix of south and west swells. The wind was all over the place like it does in St Francis, finally settling on a medium southwesterly to finish off the event.
Saturday’s swell had dissipated, and the finals heat had a significant element of luck, with Ella van der Made taking the win from local surfer Summer Harding in the U12 Girls division.
In inconsistent conditions, Charlotte Copson took out friend and rival Emma Schermbrucker for the U16 Girls title.
The U18 Girls finals had both the Venter girls in the mix, with Anastasia good enough to take the win, Taylor Emslie placed second and Jasmine Venter placed third, with 2025 GromSearch champ Emily Jenkinson in fourth for her second podium of the day.
Jenkinson will soon be preparing to depart for France to compete in the worldwide culmination of the Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals, to be held in Hossegor from 4 to 8 November.
Final Results of the Rip Curl GromSearch at Seal Point in Cape St Francis, on Sunday, 5 October 2025
U12 Girls
1. Ella van der Made
2. Summer Harding
3. Skyla Nadauld
4. Adriana Canning
5. Kayla Bone
U14 Girls
1. Charlotte Copson
2. Emma Schermbrucker
3. Brin Jarvis
4. Maya Malherbe
U16 Girls
1. Leah Lepront
2. Emily Jenkinson
3. Max Kauffman
4. Camilla Heuer
U18 Girls
1. Anastasia Venter
2. Taylor Emslie
3. Jasmine Venter
4. Emily Jenkinson
Original Copy: Surfing South Africa, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Emily Jenkinson has booked her ticket to France after winning the South African title of the 2025 Rip Curl GromSearch Series at Seal Point in Cape St Francis, the Western Cape, on Sunday, 5 October 2025. All Photos: Kody McGregor
Photo 2 Caption: The Cape Town surfer will face up to competition winners from Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Europe, Indonesia, the USA and a wild card entry for the 2025 global crown.
Photo 3 Caption: Leah Lepront made the most of her two waves in the U16 division final to clinch the Premier Rip Curl GromSeach title at Cape St Francis.
