Australia dominated the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. But one California kid put up one heck of a fight.
Jett Maughan, a 17-year-old from Encinitas, claimed the Boys Under-18 world title in El Salvador, delivering a breakout performance that helped Team USA secure the overall silver medal.
The nine-day contest, which wrapped September 13, brought 420 surfers from 56 national teams to the points and peaks of La Bocana and El Sunzal. On Finals Day, three-to-four-foot surf provided the canvas for a showdown against Australia’s seemingly unstoppable juniors. Check out some video highlights from the event below.
Maughan had been putting on a clinic all week. He posted the event’s highest heat total, 16.57, in an earlier round, then launched a backhand air reverse for a 9.00 in the semifinals.
But the final was anything but a runaway.
An 8.43 for powerful rail surfing, backed by a 6.83, gave Maughan a 15.26 total. Australian rivals Ben Zanatta Creagh and reigning Under-16 champion Ocean Lancaster finished second and third, respectively, with just 0.32 points separating the three medalists.
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“I’m speechless right now. I have so much to say but I can’t put the words out,” Maughan shared after the incredibly hard-fought heat. “I just figured there’s nothing to lose, I’m already in the Final, so I gave it my everything. I could not have done this without everyone. Thank you so much to my parents, I wouldn’t be here without you guys, and all my friends supporting me back home.”
For the first-time ISA World Junior competitor, the victory was an emotional milestone, earned against two members of the team that otherwise swept the competition.
And he wasn’t Team USA’s only standout.
San Diego’s Zoë Panettiere, 15, made her own World Junior debut and battled Australia’s Lucy Darragh in the Girls Under-16 final, ultimately taking silver. Six Americans finished inside their divisions’ top 10, giving the United States enough points for second place overall.
Australia still took its 10th team world title, its third consecutive victory, with 13-year-old Leihani Zoric becoming the youngest Under-18 girls champion in ISA history. Brazil earned team bronze, followed by Peru in fourth.
Here’s what ISA President Fernando Aguerre said about the championships: “In a world full of conflicts and difficult situations, sometimes it is very hard to have hope when you see so many problems. But we are a show and a proof that hope is possible. When people get together around a surfing competition, we are in peace.”
For Maughan, Panettiere, and the next generation of American talent, that future looks bright. And with Olympic surfing coming to Lower Trestles in 2028, it’s also getting closer to home.
Stay tuned for more up-and-coming USA surfers.
Related: Sneak Peek: Team USA’s Secret Weapon for the LA28 Olympics (Video)
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