Grommets pumped for Small Fries

Billabong team rider Shaun Manners is once again among the Margaret River entrants to this year’s Taj Burrow Small Fries surf event later this month.

He’ll be joined by fellow Margaret River surfers Jolan Bonelli, Luka Burke and brothers Cyrus and Finn Cox, among others.

There will be some competition from the east coast for local girls Annabelle Jones and India Wilcox whose brother Jacob has taken out a win in previous years.

State team member Bailee Hastie will also race in the 16-and-under girls’ competition.

Defending under-14 champion Duke Nagtzaam said he was pumped for the competition, which will be his fifth.

“It’s a good event, ” he said. “It’s hard to win and its always got a good vibe.”

Now in its ninth year, Taj’s Small Fries is run by South West pro surfer Taj Burrow, Billabong, the City of Busselton and Surfing WA, and has become WA’s biggest junior surfing event.

The specialty event for boys and girls aged 16-and-under will officially launch Surfing WA’s 2014 events program from January 17 to 19.

Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks said Burrow would be on hand to mentor and run expression sessions throughout the event.

“It’s pretty unique to have a top-five surfer who’s generous enough to dedicate his time to mentoring young surfers, on his doorstep, during his New Year’s break, ” he said.

“Every Small Fries we seem to get the most ideal little waves for the groms and I’m blown away by how much the kids rip, ” Burrow said in a media statement.

The event, which first started in 2006, has become a rite of passage for many surfers in Australia.

Previous winners include Margaret River’s Creed McTaggart and Jack Robinson.

East coast surfers who have conquered the waves of Yallingup to take the prized Small Fries trophy across the Nullarbor include Kai Hing from the Sunshine Coast, Soli Bailey from Byron Bay, Zoe Clarke from Torquay and Matt Banting from Port Macquarie.