Surfing England is excited to spotlight the UK’s next generation of surf stars as it hosts the UK stop of the 2026 Rip Curl Grom Search. This global series features multiple qualifying events around the world and is designed to develop the most promising young surfers, offering a clear pathway from national competitions through to international finals—where the top talent competes head-to-head.
The UK event acts as a qualifying stop, where winners in each division earn an invitation to compete at the European Finals, with the opportunity to progress even further and secure a place at the Rip Curl Grom Search World Finals, competing against the best young surfers from around the world. Check out Rip Curl Grom Search full event press release HERE
The competition will run at Fistral Beach, Newquay, on 23rd–24th May, with reserve dates scheduled for 30th – 31st May if required.
Elite shortboard surfers in the Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 divisions will have the opportunity to battle it out for the coveted Rip Curl Grom Search title. This year’s event will once again feature Priority Judging, pushing competitors to demonstrate not only technical ability, but strong tactical awareness in the water.
The contest will be a two-day, single-peak format with live scoring throughout. Due to limited capacity and consistently high interest, early entry is strongly advised.
DIVISIONS – SHORTBOARD
- Under 12 Girls & Boys
(Must be 12 or under on 31 December 2026) - Under 14 Girls & Boys
(Must be 14 or under on 31 December 2026) - Under 16 Girls & Boys
(Must be 16 or under on 31 December 2026)
Age categories follow ISA guidelines (see rulebook for details).
Entry fee: £30 per surfer
Entries open: Monday 20th April at 7:00pm via LiveHeats https://www.liveheats.com/surfingengland
Demand is expected to be high and spaces are limited, therefore entry cannot be guaranteed for all surfers. All athletes and parents/guardians must read the essential event information prior to registering. The competition is open to UK groms only. By submitting an entry, competitors agree to the published event format EVENT FORMAT.
A huge thank you to Rip Curl for enabling the #GromSearch. Thank you to Fistral Beach for hosting us at this incredible location and for their continued support to English Surfing.
BECOME A MEMBER AND SUPPORT ENGLISH SURFING:
As a member, you’re:
- Covered by our worldwide personal accident cover wherever you surf, including in wave pools
- Issued with a personalised digital membership card, where you can access amazing discounts with our partner brands (including 30% off Surfline Premium, 10% off Dryrobe and C-MONSTA, 35% off Kukuna sunnies, and many more)
- Helping to protect and shape the future of English surfing – because we’re a not-for-profit, every penny you spend as a member goes back into funding the sport you love. From our grassroots surf clubs, affiliated schools, and coaches, through to our Team England athletes, Para and Junior teams: when you join us, you become part of our thriving, nationwide surf community
- Making the lineup a fairer, cleaner, safer place for all, through our Inclusive Lineups Committee, and our partnerships with the Clean Watersports Alliance, Surfers Against Sewage and the North Devon World Surfing Reserve.
Membership is just £20 per year for juniors, and £28 per year for adults. Families can join for just £75 per year, or you can join through your local surf club. Find out more, check your membership status or sign up HERE.
If you require any support with Membership, please email: membership@surfingengland.org
More members. More impact. More stoke. See you in the lineup!
CONTACT US:
For any queries on the event, please get in touch with lauren@surfingengland.org
