The Junior Surf Series continued at Widemouth Bay, with the brilliant Bude Wave Riders hosting a fantastic day of junior competition in sunshine and good waves.
With fun conditions on offer, the next generation of surfers had the perfect opportunity to showcase their skills, with strong performances across all four divisions and plenty of closely fought battles keeping the competition exciting from start to finish.
In the U12 Girls, with big brother Jack currently competing in El Salvador, Lauren Strutt put in a strong performance of her own to take the top spot and claim the U12 Girls victory ahead of finalists Kaleia Peres, Sophie Busby and Lola Martin.
The U12 Boys saw Casper Kershaw put together an impressive run to secure the win, surfing with confidence and throwing some huge turns along the way. André Moraes pushed him hard in the final, while Rohan Sharp produced some big scores on his way to third place. Ted Davies finished in a respectable fourth place.
The U14 Girls delivered another closely fought battle between some familiar faces, with Betsie Reay, Martha Edwards and Ellie Hickie all surfing strongly. Betsie remained as cool and composed as ever when it mattered most, holding her nerve to take the win ahead of Martha in second and Ellie in third. Mila Barber rounded out the top four.
In the U14 Boys, Cassius Woudberg found his form at exactly the right time. After a slower start to the event, Cassius stepped it up when it mattered, putting in excellent performances across the semi-finals and final to claim first place. Harvey Waters pushed him all the way in the final, posting two 7.00-point rides in an impressive performance. Ryan Croucher surfed consistently to secure third, with Frankie Middleton finishing fourth.
It was fantastic to see such a high standard of surfing across all four divisions. The combination of good waves and sunshine allowed the juniors to really showcase their progression and talent, while plenty of determination, sportsmanship and commitment was on display from every surfer who took to the water.
A huge thank you to Bude Wave Riders for hosting another brilliant Junior Surf Series event, and congratulations to all of the surfers who competed.
We are pleased to announce the winners of each division:
U12 Girls
- Lauren Strutt
- Kaleia Peres
- Sophie Busby
- Lola Martin
U12 Boys
- Casper Kershaw
- André Moraes
- Rohan Sharp
- Ted Davies
U14 Girls
- Betsie Reay
- Martha Edwards
- Ellie Hickie
- Mila Barber
U14 Boys
- Cassius Woudberg
- Harvey Waters
- Ryan Croucher
- Frankie Middleton
We’re stoked to announce the latest athletes who have secured their places at the Junior Nationals, taking place on Thursday 29th October at The Wave!
Following the latest Junior Surf Series stop at Widemouth Bay, eight more young surfers have punched their tickets to the biggest junior event of the year.
U12 Girls
Joining previously qualified athlete Kaleia Peres are Lauren Strutt and Sophie Busby.
U12 Boys
Casper Kershaw and André Moraes join previously qualified athletes Sullivan Reay and Blake Davies.
U14 Girls
Joining previously qualified athletes Ellie Hickie and Betsie Reay are Milia Barber and Arabella Peres.
U14 Boys
Cassius Woudberg and Harvey Waters join previously qualified athletes Bobby Smith and Myles Ireland-Craig.
With places continuing to be secured, the field for the 2026 Junior Nationals is starting to take shape — and we can’t wait to see these athletes battle it out at The Wave!
Wildcard entries into the Nationals are now OPEN. Get all info on the event and how to enter HERE
Congratulations to all of the newly qualified surfers — we’ll see you at The Wave!
A huge thank you must go to the amazing Bude Wave Riders for hosting the Junior Surf Series at Widemouth Bay and for creating such a welcoming atmosphere for the surfers, families and supporters. We are incredibly appreciative of the clubs and volunteers who give their time to support junior surfing and provide these opportunities for the next generation.
Thank you also to the Boardmasters Foundation for sponsoring the Junior Surf Series and helping us create more entry-level competition opportunities for younger surfers, and to 10 Over Surf Shop for their continued support.
Another great stop on the Junior Surf Series is wrapped up, with plenty more exciting surfing to come. The next stop is the re arranged Croyde stop on Saturday the 19th of September back up Sunday 20th September.
