Costa Mesa, CA (April 25, 2012): In what's been legitimized as the crystal ball to surfing's future, the Rip Curl GromSearch series is gearing up for another blitzing year of showcasing the best 16 and under surfing talent in the nation.

Now in its 14th year of existence, the honor roll runs deep. Stephanie Gilmore, Jordy Smith, Wilko, Owen Wright, Tyler Wright, Kolohe Andino, Gabriel Medina - all former Rip Curl GromSearch standouts who have moved on to the elite ranks. Who will be next?

This year features 4 regional qualifying events: Huntington Beach (June 9), Hawaii (July 7), Florida (August 11), and the Outerbanks (August 18). Top finishers will get the invite to the 2012 Rip Curl GromSearch National Final to be held at Upper Trestles on November 17.

The Rip Curl GromSearch event website is now live with registration open at: www.ripcurl.com/gromsearch

Official 2012 Rip Curl GromSearch presented by H2O Overdrive Event Schedule:

Huntington Beach, CA - June 9-10

Kewalos, Hawaii - July 7

New Smyrna Inlet, Florida - August 12

Outerbanks, North Carolina - August 18

Rip Curl would like to thank all of our GromSearch supporters and sponsors: H2O Overdrive, Dragon Alliance, Kicker Audio, Future Fins, Waterman's Applied Science, Surfline, Surfing Magazine, and Wahoo's Fish Taco.

For more information, please contact Rip Curl Team Manager, Matt Myers: mmyers@ripcurl.com