Budding surfer Aidan Chamberlain knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to work hard to be the best.
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A love of surfing is not enough for the 14-year-old, who has given up other sports and music to concentrate solely on becoming the best surfer he possibly can.
The Bulli teenager’s 12-year-old sister Anna is just as determined to succeed and follow in the footsteps of her surfing “inspiration’’, Sally Fitzgibbons.
Most days the siblings head out to either McAuley’s Beach in Thirroul or Bulli’s Sublime Point for a surf.
This weekend the duo will head to the birthplace of Australian surfing to compete against some of the nation’s top up-and-coming groms.
They will join the likes of Kiama Downs siblings Cooper and Tahlia Collinge.
The Australian Open of Surfing Sydney Grom Challenge will take place at Manly Beach on February 25 and 26.
The AOS Sydney Grom Challenge is part of the 2017 Australian Open of Surfing, which is touted as Australia’s biggest lifestyle and action sports festival, incorporating 300 of the world’s top athletes across surf, BMX and sport. The second ever Australian Open of Surfing Sydney Grom Challenge will comprise four divisions – under-16 boys and girls and under-14 boys and girls.
Competitors hail from throughout Australia.
Holy Spirit College students Aidan and Anna have been putting in the extra training hours ahead of the prestigious event, working with their coach Nic Squiers.
Anna will compete in the under-14 girls, while Aidan will take part in the under-16 boys’ division.
They're also members of the Scarborough Boardriders and have represented Illawarra in a number of surfing state carnivals.
Aidan said there was nothing better than spending time alone in the water surfing.
“I just love getting away from everything and just surfing,’’ he said.
The Collinge siblings have also enjoyed a life-long love of the water.
TIGS student Tahlia, 14, and Kiama High student Cooper, 12, have also been putting in the extra training hours ahead of the prestigious event, working with their coaches Nick Clifford and Brett Connellan.
Tahlia will compete in the under-16 girls, while Cooper will take part in the under-14 boys’ division. Both have competed in regional and state events in the past, as well as events such as Barton Lynch's BL’s Blast Off.
They're also members of the Jones Beach Boardriders, while Tahlia was recently selected for the Illawarra Academy of Sport's surfing program.
Jed Ashton (Bulli) and Charli Hurst (Port Kembla) will also compete in Manly.