Rip CurlGromSearch comes to Marina di Pietrasanta for the first time with Nimbus Surfing Club

The Rip Curl GromSearch, one of the most prestigious youth surfing circuits in the world, will make its debut at the Tonfano Pier in Marina di Pietrasanta, with a waiting period scheduled from March 20 to April 13, 2026. For nearly a month, the Versilia coast will be ready to welcome some of the best young European surfers under 16, awaiting the day with ideal sea conditions to kick off the action.

Founded in 1999 in Australia, the Rip Curl GromSearch has over the years become a benchmark for the development of young talents, a true nursery for professional surfing. Many athletes now competing on the world stage took their first steps among the waves of the GromSearch, turning this series of events into a privileged showcase for the future of international surfing. For many “grommets” – as young surfers are called in surfing jargon – participating in the GromSearch means experiencing their first real taste of high-level competitive surfing, competing with peers from other countries and learning to manage the emotions of competition.

The Italian stage in Marina di Pietrasanta is part of the 2026 European Rip Curl GromSearch calendar, which includes events in Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France, before the European final scheduled for September. Following a recent calendar change announced by the Italian Surfing, Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (FISSW), the event will also serve as the first stage of the Italian Junior Championship – Shortboard discipline. This stage was originally scheduled in Santa Marinella but was relocated to Tonfano Pier due to organizational issues at the original host club.

The new federal waiting period for the Italian Junior Championship is set from April 1 to May 15: the competition, named Rip Curl GromSearch Italy, will thus serve as a qualifying stage for the Rip Curl European final in the Under 16, Under 14, and Under 12 categories, male and female, while also counting as a valid round for the national Junior title in the Under 18, Under 16, Under 14, and Under 12 categories, male and female. In this way, Marina di Pietrasanta becomes the beating heart of Italian and European youth surfing, hosting a single major event that combines the prestige of the international Rip Curl circuit with the Italian federation’s competitive path.

The competition will follow the “waiting period” format, a well-established approach in competitive surfing that allows organizers to select the day with the best wave and wind conditions within the predetermined window. This ensures athletes the optimal technical conditions to showcase their skills and gives the public the chance to witness a high-level show in a unique natural setting like the Tonfano Pier, one of Versilia’s most iconic spots.

The circuit includes six competition categories, male and female (Under 12, Under 14, and Under 16), with around 120 young athletes expected at each European event. Thanks to its role as a stage of the Italian Junior Championship, the Under 18 male and female categories are also added, further increasing participation and overall technical level. The water will thus see the new generation of European surfers: boys and girls building their path through training, trips, and early results, many of whom dream of competing in major international competitions, up to the Olympic Games.

Beyond the competitive aspect, the Rip Curl GromSearch is also a gathering for the surfing community. Around the heats in the water, the program includes social activities on the beach, family-oriented initiatives, environmental awareness campaigns, and opportunities to introduce surf culture to newcomers. The Tonfano Pier will thus become a meeting point for surfers, enthusiasts, and the public, creating a bridge between sport and territory.

The event is organized by Nimbus Surfing Club, a historic reference point for surfing in Versilia, in collaboration with Rip Curl and with the support of the Italian Surfing, Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (FISSW), the Municipality of Pietrasanta, and Marevivo Toscana, thanks also to the sponsorship of BVLG Cooperative Bank of Versilia, Lunigiana, and Garfagnana, the real estate agency Berkshire Hathaway, and European circuit sponsors Citroën, FCS, Sun Bum, and I-Sea. Over the years, Nimbus has strengthened its role as a hub for board sports development and the promotion of an attentive and inclusive sea culture, becoming a reference for athletes, schools, families, and local associations.

Confirming this role, the club recently hosted Olympic Surf Training, welcoming coaches and athletes preparing for upcoming international competitions. This recognition highlights the quality of Nimbus’ work and its ability to provide ideal conditions for training, education, and technical development, reinforcing the link between Marina di Pietrasanta and high-level surfing. The Rip Curl GromSearch stage – now also the first round of the Italian Junior Championship – is thus part of a broader path that increasingly places Versilia on the national and international surfing map.

Registration for the competition will open shortly on the official website of the Italian Surfing, Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (FISSW), where all information about categories, schedule, participation procedures, and waiting period updates will be published. Young athletes, families, and sports clubs will be able to find every organizational detail online, from registration procedures to competition rules, and communications regarding possible calls based on weather and sea conditions.

With boards ready on the shore and eyes on the sea forecasts, the Tonfano Pier prepares to welcome the new generation of European and Italian surfers. When waves and wind provide the perfect scenario, the young athletes of the Rip Curl GromSearch will be ready to enter the water and transform Marina di Pietrasanta into a natural arena of sport, passion, and the future.

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