Grace under pressure

(by: John Veage)

Cronulla Boardriders champion surfer Grace Gosby has won the 2023 Woolworths Junior NSW State Title at Corrimal Beach.

Winners were crowned in four divisions with 15 year old Grace taking her first Under 16 women’s crown.

Grace, who also surfs In the Cronulla Girls Boardrider’s club, was almost lost for words as she took out the title, dominating with a score of 7.0 and a 6.5.

The Cronulla High School student performed well all competition but it was in the final where she gave it everything and her highest scoring individual wave of the competition and her highest heat total of 13.5 saw her finish in top spot and chaired up the beach.

Grace said it was so good to get her first big win and be the U16 girls NSW state champion.

“The conditions were tough leading up to finals day but on finals day the waves were pretty fun.

“The girls pushed me to go harder and I couldn’t have done it without the competition. I now qualify for the Australian titles to represent NSW at the end of the year at Phillip Island so my short term goals now are to surf and train as much as possible so I can give it a good shot and surf my best at the Australian Titles in December,” she said.

“My long term goal is to keep progressing with my surfing, do a few more pro junior comps next year and perhaps one day surf on the CT surfing tour so I can travel the world with my surfboard.”

Grace’s Cronulla High School team made the the NSW Junior Girls School final but met an in form Byron Bay team, finishing second.