Western Australia’s rising surf stars have hit the water running at the 2025 Australian Junior Surfing Titles, with strong early performances from Jake Scott, Okie Fraser, Leila Fraser, Lily Naylor and Rosie Annesley showcasing the depth of WA talent on debut days at Thirroul Beach. With clean conditions and solid swell greeting competitors, WA surfers have already made their presence felt as the national titles build momentum.
Read the full Surfing Australia media statement below.
Australian Junior Surfing Titles off to a flyer at Thirroul Beach
The 2025 Australian Junior Surfing Titles kicked off at Thirroul Beach on Saturday, November 29 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, Jake Scott (Yallingup, WA), Okie Fraser (Margaret River, WA), Jesse Fergusson (Sunshine Beach, QLD), Lachlan Arghyros (Kingscliff, NSW) and Jai Nield (Snapper Rocks, QLD), 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.
The event picked up steam on day two at Thirroul Beach. A slight increase in southerly swell saw competitors greeted with 2-3ft waves throughout the day.
Above) Jake Scott (Yallingup, WA), in the U18 Men’s. Credits: Surfing Australia / Andrew Shield.
Day Two Heats Up as U14 and U16 Divisions Take Centre Stage at Thirroul Beach
Day two of Australia’s premier junior surfing event saw the action ramp up, with the U16 Women and U14 Boys and Girls battling through their opening rounds, while the first two heats of the MR Shield schools surfing divisions kicked off in style.
In the U16 Womens division, Leila Fraser (Margaret River, WA) and Rosie Richardson (Sunshine Beach, QLD) both took heat wins in some of the best surf of the day.
The U14 Boys delivered plenty of action, with Tully Crompton (Tugun, QLD), Phoenix Talbot (Yamba, NSW), Zeke Woollam (Bonny Hills, NSW), Jaxxon Sands (Palm Beach, QLD), Noah Kornek (Austinmer, NSW) and Lennox Lindsay (Nowra, NSW) all claiming heat victories.
In the U14 Girls division, Lily Naylor (Cowaramup, WA), Rosie Annesley (Margaret River, WA), Stevie O’Day (Torquay, VIC), Alanni Morris (Shelly Beach, NSW), Scarlett Rennie (Phillip Island, VIC), and Lily White (Blairgowrie, VIC) lit up the lineup and took the win.
One of the more thrilling victories of the day came in the U14 Girls Heat 6, when Rosie Annesley (Margaret River, WA) was sitting in third place struggling to find second score. In the dying minutes she to put together a string of strong manoeuvres to drop a 5.5 pt ride, the biggest score of her heat, and took the win.
Surfing Australia Contest Director Glen Elliott was really impressed with the level of surfing today, especially from the U14s.
“It’s been great to see everyone surfing so well out here, but the U14 divisions have really raised the bar; they’ve been almost as impressively as the U16s and U18s,” he said. “Thirroul has served up some excellent conditions on a consistent bank, giving the surfers plenty of opportunities to put on a show. Tomorrow we may move to a new location, so stay tuned for the morning call.”
The event is just getting warmed up in Wollongong as Round 3 elimination rounds start to take shape. The next five days of competition promise thrilling performances, fierce rivalries and unforgettable moments as national champions are crowned and Australia’s future surfing stars take centre stage.
Although competitors are chasing individual national glory, they are travelling in state teams and also competing for an overall state championship.
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.
Okie Fraser (Margaret River, WA), in the U18 Men’s. Credits: Surfing Australia / Andrew Shield.
Ethan Anderson (Cowaramup) in the U16 Men’s.Credits: Surfing Australia / Andrew Shield.
Coco Laurie (Trigg) in the U16 Women’s.Credits: Surfing Australia / Andrew Shield.
Lily Boxall (Dunsborough)in the U18 Women’s.Credits: Surfing Australia / Andrew Shield.
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.
Events
