By Emily Kaine
Leihani Zoric caught her first wave at two days old when her father and grandfather put her on a surfboard at Broken Head Beach in northern NSW, where she still lives with her parents.
The 12-year-old Indigenous rising star comes from a family of surfers and is happiest when she is in the ocean.
Leihani Zoric wants to be the youngest person to win a World Junior ISA title. Credit: Natalie Grono
“I just love being in the water with my family and friends. It’s my favourite thing to do.”
Zoric will compete in the open women’s shortboard, open women’s longboard and U18 shortboard at the Seas the Day surfing event, to be held at Kingscliff Beach in June.
The Minns government on Thursday pledged $100,000 to what is the world’s largest surfing festival for women, which encourages female surfers of all ages and skill levels to get involved in a fun, pressure-free environment.
Zoric’s grandfather is an Indigenous elder of the Yued mob, and she draws strength from her family’s connection to the land. Her chosen individual totem, or spirit token, is a dolphin – known as kwelena in Noongar-Yued language – helping her feel close to her Indigenous heritage whenever she is out surfing.
“Whenever I go surfing, dolphins come out and are splashing around me, so I definitely feel and see that connection when I surf.”
She also takes inspiration from her surfing idols: Carissa Moore, the first winner of Olympic gold in women’s shortboard surfing, and Erin Brooks, who was runner-up in the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games and is only 17 years old herself.
“She [Erin] is such a young surfer and is just fully charging and is so, so cool.”
Zoric has already won a host of titles, including the under-14 girls category at Australian Junior Online Surf Championships. She gets up early to train before school and always surfs on weekends. She wants to be the youngest person to win a world junior ISA title and also has the Olympics in her sights.
Leihani Zoric at Broken Head Beach.Credit: Natalie Grono
“I want to win two Olympic gold medals and win world titles. I know it sounds big, but I believe in myself so much.”
Seas the Day, held from June 21-22, is free to attend and will feature workshops, screenings, live music, entertainment and guest speakers.
The two-day festival will also provide much-needed economic support to the North Coast in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.
“It’s just amazing for women and for women’s sport,” NSW Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said.
“After a tough month with cyclone Alfred hitting northern NSW hard, this event will help get more people to visit our region … at the best surf breaks in the country.”
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