Quiksilver King of the Groms Due to be Crowned

After a series of worldwide eliminations involving more than 1,000 surfers, finals of the Quiksilver King of the Groms kick off at Capbreton, on the South-West Coast of France, on Tuesday 2 August.

The world series event, for surfers under 16 years, will be held from Tuesday 2 August to Sunday 7 August at the famous beachbreak of La Piste.

The newly crowned "Quiksilver Grom King" will receive an unprecedented start to the surfing career of his dreams: guaranteed trials slots into three of the world's premier ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) events - the Quiksilver Pro in Japan, France and Australia.

Brazil's Alejo Muniz

A good showing in these trials could see the "King" surfing in the main event against the sport's biggest star, six-time world champion Kelly Slater, or three-time world champion Andy Irons.

Elimination events for the Quiksilver King of the Groms have been held in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia, Peru, Brazil, Tahiti, Hawaii, mainland USA, Reunion Island, the Canary Islands, Portugal, Spain, Italy, England, Ireland and France.

East Coast USA King of the Groms, Kris Wiernicki

Qualifiers include: Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW, Australia), Ryan Hawker (Piha, New Zealand), Keito Matsuoka (Sendai, Miyagi, Japan), James Woods (South Africa), Muklis Anwar (Bali, Indonesia), Alejo Muniz (Brazil), Christobal de Col (Peru), Tamaroa McComb (Tahiti), Albee Layer (Maui, Hawaii), Brent Reilly (Carlsbad, California, USA), and Kris Wiernicki (Melbourne Beach, Florida, USA).

Quiksilver Europe Marketing Director, Garry Wall, said that the King of the Groms confirms Quiksilver's lasting commitment to junior surfing and the future of the sport in general.

King of the Groms New Zealand winner Ryan Hawker

"Media exposure, as well as the chance to measure up against some of the surf world's biggest names on the WCT, including Kelly Slater, represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that young grommets dream of," Wall said.

Event patron, two-time world champion Tom Carroll, said he is excited to be attending the event, along with big wave rider Ross Clarke-Jones.

"Laying down a set of rules and offering young, up-and-coming surfers the means to express themselves freely is essential to the sport," Carroll said. "Under 16-year-olds are the most enthusiastic and ambitious surfers that exist. All of them dream of becoming world champion one day."

Indonesian Grom King Muklis Anwar

The main event at Capbreton is sanctioned by ASP Europe (Association of Surfing Professionals Europe) and will be run in the same format as a 48-man WCT event.

As well as the men's competition, sixteen under-16 girls will compete in an event sponsored by Roxy.

King of the Groms Australia winner Owen Wright

Source: Quiksilver - King of the Groms

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