Joel Parkinson says the structures Surfing Australia has in place for juniors will deliver more world champions

Joel Parkinson still firmly believes the current “progressive” structure of junior surfing competitions hold the key to delivering another men’s world champion while keeping the women at the top of the sport.

JOEL Parkinson still firmly believes the current “progressive” structure of junior surfing competitions hold the key to delivering another men’s world champion while keeping the women at the top of the sport.

Parkinson won a world title in 2012 while it was Mick Fanning who became Australia’s last World Surf League world champion in 2013.

It ended a run of four men’s world titles in seven years for Australia, largely thanks to Fanning’s four three (2007, 2009 and 2013), while the nation’s women have won 22 of the last 30 world titles.

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Parkinson will be on hand when the Billabong Parko’s Grom Stomp begins this Saturday on the Sunshine Coast for junior surfers aged between 12 and 16.

It is part of a huge swell of events now on offer for emerging surfers including Occy’s Grom Comp, the Queensland Grommet Surfing Titles and the annual Surfer Groms series.

Parkinson said they held Australia’s hopes of standing on top of the world again following the dominance of Brazilian Gabriel Medina and Hawain John John Florence.

Joel Parkinson in the 2019 Australian Boardriders Battle National Final. Picture credit: WSL/Blainey Woodham.

“The talent always ebbs and flows but these are the type of events that keep up a good, constant flow of quality Australian surfers coming through,” Parkinson said.

“Right now our women are super strong and the men aren’t at the top as much as they used to be.

“But in saying that, next year we might have an Aussie push for it and become world champion.

“There’s always going to be new, fresh talent coming through and it’s refreshing to see young kids graduate into the under-17 bracket.

Reef Heazlewood (Moffat Beach, QLD) won his second consecutive Billabong Parko Grom Stomp event. Picture: Supplied.

“Some great names have gone on to be top 50 and top 20 in the world from these events.”

Parkinson, who lived on the Sunshine Coast until the age of 13, said the evolution of surfing at the junior levels had been happened sharply in recent years.

“It’s unbelievable what they do now. When we were kids we never even considered, and didn’t know how, to do airs,” Parkinson said.

“These days everything is doing above the lip (of the wave). Their turns are better, they have quality equipment and have a better understanding of it earlier. They have the competitive formula down so early now.”