Rip Curl GromSearch Presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel at the Port Alfred Easter Festival 2026

Now in its fourth year, the Rip Curl GromSearch remains the original event that shaped the broader festival. Its growth has closely tracked the expansion of the Easter Festival, establishing Port Alfred as a key destination on the junior surfing calendar while drawing families, competitors, and spectators to the region.

The contest is a Surfing South Africa event and will feature boys’ and girls’ divisions in Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18 age groups. The Under 16 division is the premier division of the Rip Curl GromSearch series and continues to attract the strongest field of emerging talent from across the country. The top surfer in both the U16 Boys and the U16 Girls will be eligible to surf in the Rip Curl GromSearch International Final, to be held later this year.

Competition will take place at East Beach, positioned at the mouth of the Kowie River. The venue is known for its hollow, right-hand sand-bottom waves that break off the pier, offering a performance-focused setup that rewards commitment, timing, and technical precision. The beach layout allows spectators to follow the contest easily throughout the event window.

The official opening function for both the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup will be held on Thursday, 2 April, at the Royal St Andrews Hotel, bringing together surfers, families, organisers, and partners ahead of four days of competition and festival activity.

Water safety for the event will be overseen by NSRI Station 11, which will provide professional safety support in and around the contest area.

Globally, the Rip Curl GromSearch series has established a reputation as the most influential junior surfing platform. Since 1999, the series has introduced more than 40,000 surfers aged 16 and under to structured, high-level competition. Past winners include WSL World Champions Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, and Gabriel Medina, along with Championship Tour standouts Erin Brooks, Brisa Hennessy, Samuel Pupo, Leonardo Fioravanti, and one of the sport’s most distinctive free surfers, Mason Ho.

The long-term impact of the GromSearch series continues to shape elite surfing. Over 60 per cent of the current 2025 WSL Championship Tour athletes are former GromSearch competitors. Five of the six medalists at the last two Olympic Games have competed in the series, and the last 18 WSL Women’s World Titles have been claimed by surfers who progressed through GromSearch finals.

As the foundation event of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, the Rip Curl GromSearch continues to play a central role in developing South African surfing talent while anchoring a festival built around performance, community, and coastal culture.

Complimentary high-res images are available for media outlets.

For Rip Curl GromSearch media enquiries and photo requests, please get in touch with Craig Jarvis:

e. craig@truthcollective.co.za

t. 082 376 4443