The 2026 Rip Curl GromSearch North America Tour returned to Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, for Stop No. 3 of the series at Kewalo Basin, capping off a week that celebrated both surfing culture and the next generation of talent.
The week kicked off Thursday evening with Rip Curl’s Hawaiʻi premiere of its latest surf film, Sketchy, alongside Unexcused Absence by Merrik Mochkatel and Mason Ho’s Caveheart II at HIC Surf. Before the screenings, Rip Curl athletes Sheldon Paishon and Merrik Mochkatel took part in a team signing and Q&A, with the evening emceed by Kaipo Guerrero. The free community event brought together surfers, families, and fans ahead of the weekend’s GromSearch competition at Kewalo Basin.
For 27 years, the Rip Curl GromSearch has served as a proving ground for emerging surfing talent, helping young athletes develop their competitive skills while progressing through one of surfing’s most established junior series. The Oʻahu stop once again showcased why the series remains one of the premier junior development pathways in surfing.
The 2026 Rip Curl GromSearch North America Tour is proudly presented by title sponsor Flexfit and supported by associate sponsors Sun Bum, YETI, FCS, Banzai Bowls, Ritual Vision, Hawaiian Airlines, and Lost Surfboards.
Competition remained high throughout the weekend as surfers battled for qualification to the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final. The National Final is now set for October 8 at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where qualified surfers from across North America will compete for national titles.
The following surfers earned qualification to the National Final with Top 4 finishes in their respective divisions at Kewalo Basin:
U14 Girls
Manalani Cazimero
Sophia Gannon
Mia Blaxland
Teagan Meza
U14 Boys
Keahi Lee
Henry Mullen
Ian Moody
Pohaku Lambeth
U16 Girls
Kiki Takako Oshiro-Kaneshiro
Brenice Alama
Ocean Lipstein
Teagan Meza
U16 Boys
Hayden Flores
Matias Banto
Merrik Mochkatel
Finn Castle
Several standout performances highlighted the weekend’s competition. U16 Boys Champion Hayden Flores continued his impressive season after capturing the Banzai Bowls Best Maneuver Award at the Huntington Beach stop earlier this year.
Merrik Mochkatel capped off a memorable week by finishing third in the U16 Boys division just days after premiering his latest surf film, Unexcused Absence, during Rip Curl’s Hawaiʻi community premiere night at HIC Surf.
Sunday’s Finals Day also welcomed Rip Curl team rider George Pittar, who cheered on competitors throughout the day before presenting awards to the event’s finalists.
The Top 4 finishers in each division secured qualification to the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach on October 8, while all division champions received $500 prize checks from Rip Curl.
With Oʻahu complete, the Rip Curl GromSearch North America Tour now heads to Ocean City, New Jersey, before concluding with the National Final at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach on October 8.
For more information on the Rip Curl GromSearch, visit the Rip Curl GromSearch Blog.
All event imagery is available for use here. (Photographer credit — Willi Edwards, @coconutadventures)
ABOUT RIP CURL GROMSEARCH
The Rip Curl GromSearch is one of the world’s longest-running junior surfing series. Designed to identify and develop the next generation of surfing talent, the series has helped launch the careers of many of surfing’s biggest names while providing young athletes with opportunities to compete, progress, and represent their regions on the world stage.