Australian Surfers Dominate 2025 World Junior Championships

For anyone watching Dane Henry at any contest over the past two years, this outcome felt inevitable. Not only can the 19-year-old manchild from Fingal Head belt it on serious waves, he has the technical chops and mental fortitude to slug it out in sloppy surf. It’s a skill set he’ll need on the Challenger Series this year, and he needed every bit of his acrobatics and heat strategy this week amid lackluster Philippines surf to claim his first WSL World Junior Title. 

It was a wave-starved affair in the latter half of the event window. Knee to wait-high sets crumbled through the lineup on finals day. Dane did enough to dispatch underdog Nadav Attar (whose only WSL final was a win at Pismo Beach). It's a major milestone for the Australian, whose career trajectory has taken off like those backflips he’s fond of launching.

"It's been a massive week, it feels like I've been here for about a month," said Dane, who becomes the fifth Australian man to win a WSL World Junior Title, joining the likes of Joel Parkinson and Ethan Ewing. "I want to say a massive thanks to my coach, Adam Dufner. I've been training with him for 10 years, honestly wouldn't be able to be here without him. It's been special sharing this moment with just us and my beautiful mother, Kiri Henry. She's the best mum on the planet. My circle's so good right now and I'm over the moon. There's been a lot of big Aussie names to win this comp and this is one to tick off for me."

The win in the Philippines caps off a banner year for Dane. Even in a country with a wealth of high-level surfing, Dane’s 2025 season may not be touched again for a long time. In September, he claimed an ISA World Surfing Games gold medal (adding to his existing ISA U/18 World Junior gold), won the Australia/Oceania Junior title, got his first Qualifying Series win, and was named 2025 Male Surfer of the Year at the Australian Surfer Awards last month. All before becoming a world junior champ.

"I've been dreaming of this for a long time," he said. "I was watching Bronson [Meydi] win it last year and drawing inspiration from that. Everything's kind of led to this moment, but I know it's just the beginning and to make that Challenger Series, lift the weight off the shoulders for the last two QS's and also to share the Final with Nadav [Attar]. He's an absolute legend, honestly wouldn't want to share it with anyone else. We were just chatting out there and it was like no other Final I've been in. It was really special to share that moment with him and super sick to see him do so well coming from a super underdog to getting second in the event. It was mental to see that happen."

With three out of the four finalists representing Australia, this was yet another statement win for the country's youth. One of the more surprising storylines was Isla Huppatz, a relative unknown outside of Australia, laying down the best turn of the contest and one of the best turns in women’s surfing in her opening heat. It was flawless, powerful surfing that had everyone from Paul Fisher to Harry Bryant throwing likes. 

The women’s final went down to the wire, with 2023 World Junior Champ Sierra Kerr trying to get a second title and newcomer Isla gunning for her first. Though Sierra made a valiant run after a tumultuous year, Isla’s turns just had a bit more spice and spray. She had to wait until the very end to get her backup score, and she narrowly got the edge, as reflected by the five-tenths of a point difference. But Isla earned her win, and she’ll be looking to replicate her show-stopping turn on the 2026 Challenger Series.

"I can't believe it, to be honest, this is crazy," she said. "Oh my gosh, when it was counting down, like 5 seconds to go, I was like there's no waves coming, I started to tear up. I couldn't believe it, it just hit me all at once. Sierra [Kerr]’s one of my best mates, so she was so stoked for me. I'm so glad I got to share a Final with her. Obviously it was super grovelly, but we both still got some so it was sick.”

2025 World Junior Championships Results

Women's Final:

1 - Isla Huppatz (AUS) 12.67

2 - Sierra Kerr (AUS) 12.17

Men's Final:

1 - Dane Henry (AUS) 13.67

2 - Nadav Attar (ISR) 11.40

Women’s Semifinal:

HEAT 1: Isla Huppatz (AUS) 9.83 DEF. Vaihitimahana Inso (HAW) 7.73

HEAT 2: Sierra Kerr (AUS) 11.66 DEF. Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) 8.43

Men’s Semifinal:

HEAT 1: Dane Henry (AUS) 13.27 DEF. Lennix Smith (AUS) 13.00

HEAT 2: Nadav Attar (ISR) 11.27 DEF. Winter Vincent (AUS) 2.93