By Luke Voogt
Jan Juc surfer Mia Huppatz battled tough surf on Monday to take out the first event of the Rip Curl GromSearch.
“It felt amazing!” the 13-year-old told the Indy on Tuesday morning.
“My goal for the comp was to get into the final, so winning it was a reward for all the work I’ve put in.”
Organisers moved the comp to its backup location at Torquay Point, where local and interstate juniors toughed it out in sloping right-handers and a shifty line-up.
“It was pretty difficult,” Huppatz said.
“It wasn’t too big but it was really choppy and bumpy and (there was an) onshore (wind).
“It’s a bit more protected (at Torquay Point) but the waves are a lot weaker so it’s harder to surf.”
But the patient grommet waited in challenging 3-4ft swell, before surfing an 8.5-point wave to victory.
“I was out the back for a while, then got that wave and tried to just surf as best as I could on it, I suppose,” she said.
The year 7 student surfs before and after school, or both if she can.
“I want to become a professional surfer,” she said.
Her dedication and tips from her dad and coach helped her snare the win, she said.
“I was remembering what we focussed on at the beach.”
Huppatz ousted Barwon Heads’ grommet and Australian champion Ellie Harrison, who often surfs in older age groups.
“I surf against her a fair bit – usually she beats me – so that was good,” she said.
“It was bit of a reward for how hard I’ve tried and practiced.”
While many of the local competitors are friends, competition is fierce in the surf, according to Huppatz.
“We help push each other,” she said.
“If someone’s trying to surf really good then the next surfer tries to surf really good too, and it just builds us up.”
Huppatz won the Victorian and South Australian legs of the GromSearch in the under 12s division last year, before coming second in the Australian final.
She has four more events to qualify in the top 10 to make the GromSearch national final this year, and then compete to go one better.
The winners will represent Australia in their age group against the best junior surfers from around the world at the GromSearch International Final.
In the under 16 boys Jan Juc’s Indi White scored an excellent heat total of 16.17 but fell just short of the required total to win in the final.
Mia’s younger sister Isla won the female Rising Star award, after coming second in the under 12 girls.
“They put in the effort so it’s good for them, they deserve it,” said the girls’ proud father Marcus Huppatz.
