Updated
Jasmine McCorquodale has her sights set on one goal — to be the first Indigenous female surfer on the world tour.
And at just 16 years old the Kamilaroi teen is well on her way.
She began surfing at nine years old. Seven years on, she’s the Australian Women’s Indigenous surfing champion.
Key points:
- Jasmine McCorquodale is one of four females chosen to train with Carissa Moore in Oahu
- The number of Indigenous female surfers competing continues to grow
- One event organiser says it is a matter of time before an Indigenous surfer makes the world tour
The New South Wales Central Coast teenager will head to Hawaii next month to train alongside three-time world champion Carissa Moore.
She is also among a growing number of junior female Indigenous surfers.
They include seven-year-old Leihani Zoric from Byron Bay, who is already dominating surfing competitions despite her young age.
Zoric — whose great grandfather is a Yued elder from Western Australia — became the youngest person to compete at the Indigenous Juraki Surf Challenge in April.
She recently posted two perfect scores at the Barton Lynch Blast Off, a junior surfing competition run by the 1988 World Surfing Champion.
Her mother Kirsty Zoric is a former Indigenous surfer and WA state champion and describes her daughter’s achievements as “remarkable”.
Ms Zoric said it was pleasing to see so many young Indigenous girls hitting the waves.
“When I started there was maybe three or four girls competing, now there are so many — I think it’s tripled,” she said.
World tour spot ‘only a matter of time’
Mary Slabb, the co-founder of Juraki Surf said it was “only a matter of time before we see the first female Indigenous surfer on the Women’s World Surf League”.
It is a goal on which McCorquodale’s sights are firmly set, with the teen describing the feat as “next level”.
McCorquodale is one of only four females selected from across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti as part of a global exchange program run through Moore’s foundation.
The 10-day experience will include training and mentoring, while surfing different breaks around the island.
“To be able to surf with the world’s best female surfer is such an amazing opportunity,” McCorquodale said.
Moore is chasing her fourth world title at the upcoming Hawaii Pro, the final event of the World Surf League (WSL) Women’s Championship Tour.
The American will also be aiming to secure one of two spots at the Tokyo Games, where surfing will make its Olympic debut.
Topics:
sport,
surfing,
gosford-2250,
wa,
hawaii
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