Torquay, VIC / AUS (Thursday, 24 September 2026): The next generation of surfing talent has been crowned at the Hurley Bells Beach Junior, with Lachlan Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW), Mila Grainger (Northern Beaches, NSW), Kai Coleman (Sunshine Coast, QLD) and Stevie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) claiming division titles at Bells Beach / Djarrak.
The two-day event formed part of the 2026 Surfing Australia Junior Series, bringing some of Australia and New Zealand’s leading junior surfers to one of the most iconic waves in the country as they battled for valuable points on the national junior pathway.
Arghyros claims U18 Boys crown
Lachlan Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW) capped off a strong campaign at Bells Beach / Djarrak by claiming the U18 Boys title in a closely fought four-man final.
Arghyros saved his best for the final, posting a 12.20-point heat total to finish ahead of Eden Alker (North Curl Curl, NSW), Jack Lindsay (Jan Juc, VIC) and Jesse Fergusson (Noosa, QLD).
The victory capped an impressive run through the event for Arghyros, who produced a 15.50-point total in his quarterfinal before backing it up with a 16.00 in his semifinal — the highest heat total recorded in the U18 Boys semifinals.
“I had such a sick time surfing Bells with only a few others out,” said Arghyros. “It was the sickest event ever and I’m super grateful for the event to happen at Bells.
“I got down a few days early to get used to the water and the waves, but it’s definitely tricky to go from board shorts to wetsuits down here.
“It’s good to come down and get the chance to surf at Bells. There aren’t really many opportunities to get that practice, so it’s awesome to surf here.”
Grainger takes out U18 Girls
Mila Grainger (Northern Beaches, NSW) emerged victorious in the U18 Girls division, producing a 13.10-point heat total to claim the final ahead of Mia MacMahon (Norah Head, NSW), Malia Barron (Byron Bay, NSW) and Savannah Bennett (Phillip Island, VIC).
Grainger built momentum throughout the final stages of the event, progressing through her semifinal before delivering when it mattered most in the championship decider.
The result adds another strong performance at Bells Beach / Djarrak for the emerging junior surfer, who also progressed through the U16 Girls division earlier in the event.
“It was so cool to surf Bells during an event,” said Grainger. “I’ve grown up watching this wave at the CT event, so it was amazing to surf it.
“The waves have been firing all event. The waves are so powerful and so fun. I wish I had this every day!”
Coleman dominates U16 Boys final
Kai Coleman (Sunshine Coast, QLD) produced the highest heat total of any final at the Hurley Bells Beach Junior, posting an outstanding 18.00-point heat total to claim the U16 Boys title.
The Sunshine Coast surfer took control of the final, finishing ahead of New Zealand’s Jaxon Pardoe (Gisborne, NZ), Liam Thomson (Torquay, VIC) and George Everist (Bittern, VIC).
Coleman had already shown his form earlier in the event, progressing through the quarterfinal and semifinal stages before delivering his standout performance in the final.
“Super happy to win. It’s been such a fun comp,” said Coleman.
“Growing up down here when I was younger, I used to surf here all the time, so it was nice to surf here again.
“As soon as you hear Bells for a comp, you want to do it. So it’s a dream to surf a wave like this and get the surf we did for a comp.”
O’Day secures U16 Girls victory
Stevie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) has been crowned U16 Girls champion after producing a 13.50-point final heat total to finish ahead of Ella Campbell (Wombarra, NSW), Cobie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) and Lily White (Blairgowrie, VIC).
O’Day had earlier posted a 15.50-point quarterfinal total before progressing through her semifinal, maintaining her momentum all the way through to the championship final.
The result caps a strong performance at Bells Beach / Djarrak and adds another significant result to O’Day’s junior campaign.
“It’s so good to surf your home break in a comp,” said O’Day. “It was amazing to have all my friends and family down on the beach as well.
“I surf with a lot of these girls a lot already, and it was so fun to surf some great waves with them.”
Strong performances throughout the event
The Hurley Bells Beach Junior delivered two days of high-level junior surfing, with surfers from across Australia and New Zealand producing strong performances across the four divisions.
New Zealand’s Jaxon Pardoe (Gisborne, NZ) continued his impressive run through the U16 Boys division, finishing runner-up to Coleman after earlier recording the highest opening-round score of 15.17 and progressing through the quarterfinal and semifinal stages.
Victorian surfers also featured prominently throughout the event, with Liam Thomson (Torquay, VIC) progressing to the U16 Boys final, while Ella Campbell (Wombarra, NSW) and Cobie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) both reached the U16 Girls final.
The U18 Boys division saw strong performances from Jesse Fergusson (Noosa, QLD), Eden Alker (North Curl Curl, NSW) and Jack Lindsay (Jan Juc, VIC), who all progressed through to the final alongside eventual winner Arghyros.
With the event now complete, the Hurley Bells Beach Junior has provided another important opportunity for Australia and New Zealand’s emerging surfers to test themselves at Bells Beach / Djarrak and continue their progression through the national junior pathway.
Hurley Bells Beach Junior – Finals Results
U18 Boys Final
- Lachlan Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW) — 12.20
- Eden Alker (North Curl Curl, NSW) — 10.53
- Jack Lindsay (Jan Juc, VIC) — 9.44
- Jesse Fergusson (Noosa, QLD) — 9.10
U18 Girls Final
- Mila Grainger (Northern Beaches, NSW) — 13.10
- Mia MacMahon (Norah Head, NSW) — 11.33
- Malia Barron (Byron Bay, NSW) — 7.83
- Savannah Bennett (Phillip Island, VIC) — 3.33
U16 Boys Final
- Kai Coleman (Sunshine Coast, QLD) — 18.00
- Jaxon Pardoe (Gisborne, NZ) — 14.00
- Liam Thomson (Torquay, VIC) — 11.66
- George Everist (Bittern, VIC) — 9.77
U16 Girls Final
- Stevie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) — 13.50
- Ella Campbell (Wombarra, NSW) — 11.74
- Cobie O’Day (Torquay, VIC) — 10.34
- Lily White (Blairgowrie, VIC) — 10.14
The 2026 Hurley Bells Beach Junior was supported by Hurley, Carve, Sea All Dolphin Swims, Vitality Brands, Cancer Council Sunscreen, Surf Better Now and Surfing Victoria.
2026 Hurley Bells Beach Junior
Dates: September 23–24, 2026
Location: Bells Beach / Djarrak, Victoria
Rating: 5,500-point Surfing Australia Junior Series event
Divisions: Under 16 Boys, Under 16 Girls, Under 18 Boys, Under 18 Girls
For event information and further results, visit Surfing Victoria.
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