After a solid 2019, Nyxie Ryan is keen to take it up a notch when she heads to the Illawarra this week.
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Ryan is among a group of Australia's best and most promising surfers who will contest the Rip Curl GromSearch national final.
More than 50 talents will compete at the three-day event, which begins on Tuesday.
The main base for the national final is Woonona and Sandon Point, with the back up locations of Bellambi, Port Kembla and Thirroul.
Nyxie currently sits in second place in the 16 and under girls category behind Cedar Leigh-Jones.
Nyxie, of Lennox Head, said she was eager to finish her GromSearch campaign with a bang.
"The Rip Curl GromSearch series have been some of the most fun events I've ever competed in and I can't believe that I'll be too old to surf in them after this event," the 16-year-old said.
"In the past, we've got some really fun waves in the Illawarra region so hopefully it delivers again when the final kicks off. I can't wait."
The GromSearch series allows young surfers to compete against their contemporaries in a fun and engaging environment.
Points gained during the four-event series are counted towards a surfer's GromSearch national ranking.
The list of past GromSearch winners illustrates the significance of the series. These include the South Coast's own Tyler and Owen Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons as well as fellow World Surf League competitors Gabriel Medina (Brazil), Matt Wilkinson (Australia), Jordy Smith (South Africa) and Kolohe Andino (US).
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