It was a bad day to be an empty wave at Atlantic Park Surf. Sixty-four of the top under-16 surfers from across North America descended on Virginia Beach’s wave pool earlier this month for the 2025 Rip Curl Gromsearch National Final. But only two got the grand prize and a free ticket to the international final in Hossegor next month.
Finn Castle went on a rampage, winning both the U16 and U14 divisions and the Banzai Bowls Best Air award — an unprecedented triple victory at the National Final. The kid’s trophy cabinet must be getting full. He’s adding two more titles to his six NSSA National Championships and six NSSA Western Championships.
Canada’s Ocea Green took out the girls’ U16 division with smooth and timely surfing at the first Wavegarden Cove in North America. The goofyfoot got into the event by winning Canada’s first-ever GromSearch event in Tofino.
“It’s incredible,” said PJ Connell, vice president of marketing & e-commerce at Rip Curl North America. “We had events across North America, and now they’ve all come here to the pool. It’s like a stadium for surfing — every kid gets an equal opportunity to express themself, it’s really fun to watch.”
For most of the groms, it was their first time surfing an artificial wave. “I grew up surfing and loved it ever since,” said Merrik Mochkatel of Oahu, who finished third in the U16 final. “I never saw myself in Virginia Beach, but I’m here, and I’m excited to be here.”
Aside from hyping up the kids, locals see the event as yet another boon in growing the US East Coast surf scene. Virginia Beach has a long history of surfing, yet it has never had a consistent wave year-round. That’s changed with the pool.
“The community is already embedded in surf culture,” said Atlantic Park Surf General Manager Nate Stevens. “And now that we have guaranteed perfect waves all day, every day, it’s massive — the community is so excited. We’re getting visitors from all over — the East Coast, the Midwest, even the West Coast. People are booking trips to experience the first Wavegarden Cove Surf Lagoon in North America.”
2025 Rip Curl GromSearch National Final Results
Boys U16
1st – Finn Castle – 18.43
2nd – Tanner Sandvig – 14.97
3rd – Merrik Mochkatel – 14.67
4th – Makai Castle – 11.60
Boys U14
1st – Finn Castle – 17.23
2nd – Hayden Flores – 17.10
3rd – Giacomo Mesinas – 15.50
4th – Wyatt Yount – 12.37
Girls U16
1st – Ocea Green – 14.50
2nd – Alana Lopez – 12.07
3rd – Marlo Harris – 11.73
4th – Kaydn Persidok – 9.94
Girls U14
1st – Teagan Meza – 16.26
2nd – Auburn Hilley – 16.17
3rd – Estorya Martinez – 13.40
4th – Amari Moore – 11.70
About the author
Writer, SURFER
Hailing from Half Moon Bay, California, August Howell grew up surfing up and down the state’s northern coast. He studied journalism at the University of Oregon and has been writing about surfing for over half a decade.
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