TURF: Rip Curl Gromsearch Stop #3; New Smyrna Beach Inlet, FL; August 12, 2012

ENERGY: Pretty freakin’ magical, if you ask us. Two- to three-foot waves popped up randomly at New Smyrna Beach during the middle of summer. Eighty-four talented kids gathered from Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Barbados, and California. The weather was hot, and the competition hotter still. Like we said, magical. Abracadabra.

FIRST TIME AT FIGHT CLUB: If a genie pops up out of thin air next time you’re polishing your oil lamp collection — kind of a weird hobby, by the way, but we’ll try not to judge — are you going to laugh at said gene for being dressed in 16-century middle eastern garb? No, I think not. Which brings me to my point. And yes, I do, in fact, have a point. Really awesome things don’t need to change much over time. Genies don’t change much. The Rip Curl Gromsearch doesn’t change much . Therefore, the Rip Curl Gromsearch is a genie. Wait… what? That can’t be right. Or can it?…

SLIDE: … in some ways, that twisted logic actually holds up. Like a Genie, the Rip Curl Gromsearch has the ability to grant wishes. More specifically, a win or finals appearance at Stop #3 in New Smyrna Beach guarantees kids a ticket into the National Championships out in California, where they’ll vie for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to compete in the International Final at Bells Beach, Australia, during next year’s World Tour event. And there wasn’t a single kid on the beach Sunday who wasn’t wishing for a chance like that, so, naturally, they all threw down as hard as they could. Here’s the breakdown straight from Rip Curl:

The Boys 16 & Under competitors were going big from round one. In the highly contested final, there was a flurry of action as all four competitors put solid scores on the board. As the heat wore on, Daniel Glenn, of New Smyrna Beach, connected multiple solid outside maneuvers and worked his way to the punchy inside for a finishing crack. Glenn took down the 1st-place prize: $200, a Kicker Audio sound system, and an armful of other prizes. Coming up just short in 2nd-place was local boy Noah Schweizer, who surfed smooth and radical the whole event. Noah was awarded the H2O Overdrive Maneuver of the Event for nailing a huge backside inverted air reverse in his Semifinal heat. Finishing in 3rd was Knox Harris, and rounding out the final in 4th was Corey Howell.

The Girls 16 & Under division was also packed with talent. The East Coast girls brought their A-game and showed that they were ready to challenge the rest of the country in the National Championships. In the final, Rossi Klein took the crown in a hard-fought battle against runner-up Emily Ruppert. Coming in 3rd was Sydney Herring and in 4th was the young up-and-comer, Caroline Marks.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, there was a mixed field of shredding grommets. However, in the middle of the final heat, a large thunderstorm hit the coast. Rain poured down, then the winds came up and lighting struck. With only 3 minutes remaining in the heat, the lifeguards warned organizers to stop the competition. The competitors paddled in and huddled together under the tents, along with parents, judges, and staff. After a 30-minute downpour, the storm passed and the event was back on. The groms returned to the lineup to finish the final 3 minutes of their heat. Taking 1st-place was the grom who flew in from San Clemente, CA, Colin Deveze. Deveze made his trip worth the effort, surfing smart and loose in every heat, which lead him to the victory. Coming up just short, but with an impressive  2nd-place showing was local Floridian Luke Marks. Meanwhile, 3rd-place went to ripper Cobie Gittner, and Dane Mackie, a stylish young surfer from Barbados, finished 4th.

In the ever-impressive Boys 12 & Under division, the young guys brought explosive maneuvers and aggression to the table. Boyd Brown drove down with his family from South Carolina and ended up taking the victory. Boyd was a standout in each of his heats, tearing his way across the New Smyrna Beach lineup with maturity beyond his years. In 2nd-place was Barbados native Che Allan, who put on an outstanding performance. In 3rd was the grom with the biggest smile of the day, Tommy Coleman. Tommy made everyone’s mouths drop to the sand when he busted a huge frontside air in his semifinal heat. Finishing 4th was Kerlin Sutton.

THE PAIN: What pain? Everyone who made a final is going to the National Championships. Wish granted, kids.

THE MAN: This one could really only go to New Smyrna Beach magic man Daniel Glenn. He’s been on fire lately, winning a Quiksilver King Of The Groms U.S. qualifier in Huntington Beach to earn himself a trip to the International Finals in France, then picking up the win at the Gromsearch Event #3 to inch himself closer to that coveted trip to Australia.

When asked about all his recent success, Daniel easily explained it away: “I’ve just been spending a lot of time around my family and good friends, and I’ve been training a lot, so that’s really been stepping my game up. Things like cross-training have been getting me stronger and fitter. I’m just trying to stay positive and surf strong, not overdoing it and having fun while staying fit and focused.”

While that’s a believable story, those of us with overactive imaginations (and the few of us who may possibly have forgotten to take our meds this morning) think there might be another explanation. And we’re all hoping he has just enough wishes left to accomplish his big goals.

YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “The goal is to go out to California and win the National Championships contest so that I could go to Bells Beach and get to surf out there. I’ve never been before, and the most exciting thing would be experiencing the surf there. It’s a lot bigger than what I’m used to here on the East Coast, and it the whole vibe around the world tour event that will be going on there would be really cool too.” – Boys 16 & Under champ Daniel Glenn

FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2012 RIP CURL GROMSEARCH STOP #3: