KUTA, BALI — August 31, 2026: Three days of high-energy junior surfing, international competition, friendship and celebration came to a exciting conclusion Sunday as Tipi Jabrik’s Grom Patrol International Grand Final crowned a new generation of Asian junior champions at Halfway, Kuta Beach, Bali.
The eighth edition of the Grom Patrol series brought almost 100 young surfers, ranging in age from 6 to 18, together from across Asia and beyond, with competitors representing China, India, Thailand, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, the USA, Brazil, South Korea and the Czech Republic joining Indonesia’s leading young surfers for three days of competition and camaraderie.
The Grand Final featured Under 18, Under 18 Longboard, Under 16, Under 14 and Under 12 divisions for boys and girls, along with a special Under 10 Push-In Division, ensuring that even the youngest members of the next generation had an opportunity to be part of the event.
On the beach, the atmosphere was filled with smiles, games and new friendships. Once the surfers hit the water, however, the focus was firmly on the competition, with the young athletes determined to make their heats, post big scores and finish on the podium.
Among the standout performances of the weekend was an extraordinary display by Bali-born Monster Chong in the Under 12 Girls Final. Chong produced the only perfect wave score of the entire event, earning a 10-point ride after unleashing a series of seamless, critical frontside turns that left the judges with no choice but to award a perfect score.
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
Chong, who was born in Denpasar and began surfing with her father Nick at just seven years old, said the final required patience in the difficult lower-tide conditions.
“Winning this is awesome,” Chong said. “It was a bit hard out there in the final with the lower tide, and not easy to be patient to wait for the good waves. But once it came I knew it would be a good one, so I just kept making turns as hard as I could. I thought it would be a big score, and when I heard it was a 10 that was the best feeling!”
With her sights already set on the future, Chong added that her goal is to one day compete on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
International Talent Makes Its Mark
The Grand Final once again demonstrated the growing international reach of Grom Patrol, with junior surfers travelling to Bali to compete against some of the region’s strongest young talent.
India’s Grom Patrol contingent was represented in the Under 18 Girls Final by Aaadya Singh, while Harish P advanced to the semifinals of the highly competitive Under 16 Boys division.
Thailand also enjoyed a strong showing, claiming two division victories. Lunlana Sinsoke took the Under 18 Girls Longboard title, while Aonnarin Engsrisawang won the Under 16 Girls division. Thailand’s Bunyarit Kansiri and Natthakit Pheuekphoem finished third and fourth respectively in the Under 18 Boys Longboard final, while Engsrisawang also placed fourth in the Under 14 Girls division.
Engsrisawang said the challenging afternoon conditions made the victory particularly sweet.
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
“I’m so stoked to win, as it wasn’t easy in the afternoon conditions,” she said. “I was just thinking I had to find a couple of good waves, so I was also watching the others and where they were catching waves, so I knew where to be.”
After finding an a great opening wave, Engsrisawang was forced to wait until almost the end of the final for another opportunity.
“Finally when time almost was finished I got another wave… so glad it was enough to win,” she said.
Her Grom Patrol journey will continue almost immediately, with the first event of the new 2026–27 season scheduled for Thailand on September 25–26.
“I’m so excited to be going home and then competing in another Grom Patrol. I hope I can win that one also,” Engsrisawang said.
High-Level Performances in the Finals
Indonesia’s young surfers produced an amazing series of outstanding performances on Finals Day, too many to mention, but here are the top highlights:
In the Under 12 Boys division, Jaya Suhendra posted near-perfect scores of 9.13 and 9.70, combining them for an impressive 18.83 two-wave total that left his fellow finalists in a combination situation.
In the Under 18 Boys Longboard division, Alfin Setiawan of Batu Karas — widely regarded as a home of Indonesian longboarding — claimed the championship with long and critical noserides and transitions.
The highly competitive Under 18 Boys title went to Kuta Beach local Natan Johannas, who needed just three waves to put together a winning performance. He opened with a frontside air reverse for 6.13, followed with a 5.15 for backside turns, and then found a cleaner left that allowed him to repeatedly attack the wave and earn an excellent 8.63, sealing the victory.
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
“I’m really happy with my win, finally coming out on top over those guys who I compete with a lot,” Johannas said.
For Johannas, one of the highlights was the opportunity to compete against surfers he would not normally encounter in local events.
“It was also really good to compete against other guys, like from China and Malaysia. Hopefully there will be more Grom Patrols in other locations so they all can come to Bali next year and compete with us.”
For results and heat replays, check Live Heats at https://liveheats.com/events/534581
More Than Just a Junior Competition
The Bali Grand Final represented the culmination of the 2026 Grom Patrol season, which included events in Mangalore and Covelong in India. While the original Khaolak event in Thailand was postponed, Thailand’s Grom of the Sea event provided the country’s leading junior surfers with a pathway to qualify for the Bali Grand Final.
The Grand Final also carried significant importance within the Asian Rankings System, awarding 5,000 ARS points to the winner — double the points available at a regular Grom Patrol event. For the young competitors, that provided an important opportunity to establish themselves on the Asian junior rankings while gaining experience in a professional-style competitive environment.
Founded in 2019 by Tipi Jabrik and the Asian Surf Cooperative, Grom Patrol was created to provide young surfers with a positive and structured pathway to improve their surfing while developing friendships and building a stronger connection to the sport.
That purpose was clearly visible throughout the Bali Grand Final. Young surfers from different countries shared the lineup, competed against one another, made new friendships and experienced the challenge and excitement of testing themselves against their regional peers.
“This is our 8th year of running the Grom Patrol, and I’m super happy that it ran so smoothly, and that we had great waves, and lots of participants and support from sponsors, said Grom Patrol creator Tipi Jabrik. “And what really amazed me was the level of competition..how high it was, with the kids getting 9’s and even a 10 point wave. We’ve also seen more international representation, like with the teams coming from India and Thailand and the other countries kids joining us here as well. We’d love to see more Grom Patrol events in other countries in the future, as I think it can play a big role in Asia’s junior surfing development.”
Grom Patrol Season Starts in September
The new 2026-27 season will start soon, with the Grom Patrol Thailand happening in Khao Lok on 24-25 September, and following that, Grom Patrol Taiwan will make its debut as part of the Pintung Jialeshuie APSS Asian Tour that runs from 30 September – 4 October.
Celebrating the Champions
Following three days of competition, the new champions were celebrated at an awards evening at Mamaka Hotel’s Rooftop, where the champions and finalists were presented with trophies and an impressive collection of prizes from the event’s supporting brands, including Channel Islands, Quiksilver, DCK, Poo Poo, Earth Island, Indosole and Waterbom.
The celebration provided a fitting conclusion to an event that had brought together almost 100 young surfers from across the region and demonstrated just how much emerging talent exists throughout Asian surfing.
From its beginnings as a Bali-based youth surf program, Grom Patrol has continued to expand into an international junior competition series, giving young surfers across Asia opportunities to compete, develop and gain valuable experience while building friendships and connections through surfing.
After three memorable days at Kuta Beach, the message from the 2026 Grand Final was clear: the future of Asian surfing is not only arriving — it is already in the water.
The Tipi Jabrik’s Grom Patrol International Grand Final was sponsored by Mamaka by Ovolo, Ford, Halfway Boardriders, Asian Sports Network, Channel Islands Surfboards, PooPoo, Switch, La Baracca, Made’s Warung, Waterbom, Earth Island, Indosole, Drifter, DCK Boardshorts, Quiksilver and Ikigai.