Surf City rising star Finn Castle continues to put the world on notice. Taking out the boys’ title at the 2026 Rip Curl GromSearch International Final at North Narrabeen, Australia, the kid’s trophy case is rapidly filling up.
With legends Mason Ho and Mick Fanning on hand to share in the good times, the surf was a clean, playful waist- to chest-high for the finals. Facing Australian wildcard Jaggar Phillips in the final, the Huntington Beach teen got straight to work, tallying a 7.83 and 6.93 for a combined 14.76 heat total, which was enough to narrowly edge out Phillips by less than a point and take the podium.
“I can’t believe it,” Castle said following the win. “I’ve surfed so many hours to be where I am today. This is a goal that I’ve had for a while now and it’s unreal.”
Castle got his GromSearch roll started with a breakout performance at the 2025 Rip Curl GromSearch North America National Final at Virginia Beach’s Atlantic Park Surf. He swept both the U16 and U14 boys’ divisions and took home the Banzai Bowls Best Air award, becoming the first surfer to pull off the triple victory at the event. Over the years, he’s also accumulated half a dozen NSSA National Championships and six West Coast Championships.
On the girls’ side, Spain’s Carla Morera De La Vall claimed the 2026 GromSearch title, edging Australia’s Rose Holland in an exceptionally close Final. The 15-year-old posted a 7.53 and 6.03 for a 13.56 total, just 0.23 points ahead of Holland’s 13.33.
Born in Bilbao and now based in La Santa, Lanzarote, Morera De La Vall is a key player in the bounty of young, female talent emerging in Europe right now. She won the EuroKids titles in 2023 and 2024, finished runner-up in the 2025 European Pro Junior circuit, and placed fifth at the 2026 WSL World Junior Championship in the Philippines. She also finished fifth at the QS 6,000 Pantin Classic in Galicia. Her GromSearch victory is particularly meaningful after reaching the semifinals of the international event in Bali in 2024, when she was just 13.
“It’s insane to win such a prestigious event,” Morera De La Vall said. “I’ve seen the World Tour surfers that have won this event, and so to win this too is a dream come true. It gives me a bunch of confidence, like if they did this then I can too.”
Castle and Morera De La Vall now join a celebrated list of GromSearch champions that includes Gabriel Medina, Caroline Marks, Caitlin Simmers, Erin Brooks and Brisa Hennessy.
Related: The Eddie Aikau 2026/27 Invitees Announced: See Who Made the Cut