Wahoo's Fish Taco Winter Grom Comp

Gold Coast, Queensland
29 - 30 July 2006

Winter Edition Of Wahoo’s Fish Taco Grom Comp Underway at Burleigh Heads

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29 July, 2006 : - -  Australia’s next generation of "tiny" surfers have descended onto Gold Coast’s Burleigh beach to contest the opening day of the winter edition of the Wahoo’s Fish Taco Micro Grom Comp today. 

Regarded as Queensland’s premier event for the mirco-groms (U/10 &U/8’s), rippers from as far south as Coffs Harbour to as north as Yeppoon have flocked to Queensland to compete in this year’s event. 

Rough seas that had battered the Gold Coast during the week were no where to be seen, as a super clean 4-ft of north-easterly swell coupled with a light offshore breeze greeted Australia’s finest up-and-coming micro-groms (grommets) for the largely entertaining all-grommet contest. 

Mermaid beach’s Lance Pirie was one of only a few competitors who successfully negotiated Burleigh beach’s relatively inconsistent yet punchy peaks, executing a procession of powerful backhand maneouvres on his way to a convincing under 16 boy’s round 1 heat.  

Pirie’s heat total of 11.67-points (6.5 & 5.17) was easily enough to defeat Palm beach’s Ashley Turner, Marcoola beach’s Cody Gerkew and Currumbin Water’s Mark West in their round 1 heat.  

“It was really lumpy out there today. Lots of holes and gutters in the sandbanks which made conditions quite difficult,” explained Pirie. “I was lucky enough to pick off a few that linked through to the inside.” 

The 15-year-old is focused on clinching a win in tomorrow’s finals and seems upbeat about his chances. “I surf Burleigh quite regularly. With any the luck the waves will have a bit more shape to them tomorrow,” added a hopeful Pirie.  

Similarly, Caloundra’s Nichols Edgerton (9.67-points) continued his recent run of good form in the under 14 boy’s division, convincingly defeating Luke Schultz (Fingal, NSW), Jake Cumberland (Tweed Heads) and Sam Robinson (Burleigh Heads) in their round 1 heat.  

Edgerton will face Damien Norman (Casurina), Mick McCarron (Maroochydore) and Schultz in a round two face-off.  Powerful Kingscliff goofyfooter Jarrod White (Kingscliff) posted today’s highest heat score, an impressive 13-points, while Coolangatta’s James Woods claimed the highest wave score for a scintillating 8.5-point ride.  

Today’s other standouts included Damien Norman (Casurina), Ezra Norris (Sunshine beach), Adam Parnell (Coolum beach), Kurt King (Byron Bay) and Jack Freestone (Coolangatta) 

The Winter Wahoo’s Micro Grom Comp has U/16, U/14, U/12, U/10 and U/8 boy’s divisions as well as U/16, U/14 and U/12 girl’s divisions. ,In its third year, the Wahoo’s Micro Grom Comp is looked upon as a stepping-stone for Queensland’s next generation of surfing superstars to one day follow in the footsteps of current world surfing superstars – Mick Fanning, Dean Morrison and Joel Parkinson.  

Due to the resounding success of last year’s Wahoo’s Micro Grom Comp, a summer edition of the Wahoo’s Mirco Grom Comp is to be staged on the weekend of December 2nd-3rd, 2006.  

With picture perfect conditions and 3ft of northeasterly swell expected to persist, tomorrow’s final day is expected to be nothing short of an all-time grommet showdown. Tomorrow’s finals are expected to conclude by 3pm sharp!

Previous reports:
# 1 : Wahoo's Fish Taco Winter Grom Competition Revs up for Sat
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon   

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Jake White

Groms - Surfersvillage