Australian Junior Surfing Titles off to a flyer at Thirroul Beach

WOLLONGONG, NEW SOUTH WALES (November 29, 2025): The 2025 Australian Junior Surfing Titles kicked off at Thirroul Beach today for day one of competition. Starting with the opening rounds of the U18 and U16 men and women, competitors were treated to clean 2ft runners all day long.

Australia’s pinnacle junior surfing event got off to a strong start, with standout performances across both U18 and U16 divisions.

In the U18 Men’s, Jesse Fergusson (Sunshine Beach, QLD), Lachlan Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW), Jai Nield (Snapper Rocks, QLD), Jake Scott (Yallingup, WA) and Okie Fraser (Margaret River, WA) all impressed with strong performances to take their heats.

In the U18 Women’s, Alice Hogson (Kiama Downs, NSW), Ava Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW), Sophie Wilkinson (Shoreham, VIC), Ruby Trew (Narrabeen, NSW), Poppy O’Reilly (Sydney, NSW) and Anna Huppatz (Bilinga, QLD) also advanced with confident, heat-winning displays.

Surfing Australia Contest Director Glen Elliott was thrilled to see the competition get off to a strong start:

“It’s great to kick off the competition window on a strong note. Thirroul has served up super fun 2–3ft surf for the U18 men and women. Today we begin the seeding rounds, setting the stage for several exciting days of competition, all leading up to our finals on Thursday and Friday next week.

The standard has already been very high—it’s the cream of the crop of Australian junior surfers here.”

Although competitors are chasing individual national glory, they are travelling in state teams and also competing for an overall state championship. Queensland head coach Jade Wheatley (Currumbin, QLD) says her team is prepared and determined to deliver a big result:

“We have a really strong Queensland team, with a few athletes in the top-four bubble who will be going for a national title and aiming for selection to the Australian National Surfing Team.

We’ve introduced a new style of training camp on the Gold Coast, putting the team through high-pressure decision-making scenarios, and the camp has been feeling really sharp. I can’t wait to see them fire up at the event. With some great performances this week in the lead-up, everyone is feeling confident and ready.”

When the U16s hit the water, it was Hemi O’Brien (Palm Beach, QLD) who stole the spotlight. O’Brien dropped a 7.50-point ride in Heat 5 of the U16 Men’s opening round, earning the Salty Crew Wave of the Day, and then backed it up with a 6.00 to take the heat win:

“My coach told me not to go for the small waves, which is usually my habit, so I waited for the bigger sets. A perfect right-hander came my way, I scored a 7.5 for a fast forehand carve and finished it off with a sharp snap on the end section. My board’s feeling great, but since I didn’t bring a spare, I’ll stick to rail surfing when I can.”

The action has only just begun in Wollongong for the 2025 Australian Junior Surfing Titles. The next six days of competition promise to deliver thrilling performances, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments as we crown national champions and spotlight Australia’s future surfing stars.

All the finals day action will be streamed live on Surfing Australia’s YouTube channel. Watch LIVE on Friday, 5th November

For the full heat draw, visit LiveHeats.
 

About the Australian Junior Surfing Titles

The Australian Junior Surfing Titles encompass individual divisions for U14–U18 junior men and women, as well as a school surfing division for U16–U19 (MR Shield) junior men and women.

Champions in the U16 and U18 men’s and women’s divisions will earn selection to the Irukandjis Team to represent Australia at the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.

The seven-day competition window runs from November 29th to December 5th 2025, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Sunday, 28th November.

Event website: australianjuniorsurfingtitles.com.

The Australian Junior Surfing Titles are proudly supported by Destination Wollongong, Fujifilm Photos, Globe, Ritual Vision, Salty Crew, Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, BLACKROLL, and Surfers For Climate