The Aussie wonder boy

Garrett Parkes was born on July 22, 1991 in the Aussie surf town of Byron Bay and, according to his several profiles on the World Wide Web, he started surfing in 1996. Having said this, there’s no doubts on why he became a recognized surfing star around the world.

If you live in the wave-rich zone of Byron Bay, if you start surfing at 4 and if you really want to go big in the surfing world, then follow Garrett’s steps and you’re going to make it. Of course, a little bit of natural talent is necessary.

Parkes has natural talent, the experience and the stoke to be a pro surfer. He also has a good résumé to make the ASP World Tour, if that’s what he wants. He was 15 when he became World Champion in the 2007 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Portugal.

The ISA Press Release of that historic day, May 13, 2007, said: “Parkes, an electrifying fair haired surfer that viewers online compared to Mick Fanning, was at his absolute best in the final of the Under 16 Boys.  He locked in the highest single wave score of all of the finals (9.6 out of 10) where he did a series of vertical turns followed by an aerial reverse in the shorebreak.

“I’m over the moon, just frothing,” said Parkes. Parkes’s father in Australia recently suffered a stroke and the win was an emotional one.  “I dedicate my win to my Dad who was watching my heats on the webcast.  He’s the man,” he said. 

Parkes finished ahead of silver medalist and fellow Mini Gun (of the Quiksilver’s upcoming DVD Young Guns 3) Tahitian Tamaroa McComb, while New Zealand’s Matt Hewitt and Australia’s Davey Cathels won bronze and copper.”  

A couple of months later, Parkes was featured in the acclaimed Quiksilver movie, Young Guns III. In the film he “competes” against surfers from Europe, USA, South America and Asia, and is rewarded with the “Young Gun Title”. From that point he has become part of the selected special group formed by Dane Reynolds, Clay Marzo, Julian Wilson, among others.

Garrett Parkes is not only an ISA World Champ and a Quiksilver Young Gun, he also won the Billabong Grom Comp Duranbah 2007 and the Under 16 2006 NSW Surfing Championships among a couple of others surf events.

Right now, he’s looking forward to make it to the history books. If he can win the Under 18 division of the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, he will become the first surfer ever in history to win the WJSC in both male divisions. He’s the only one with a shot at that in Ecuador and, for sure, he’s going to try his hardest to make it happen.

Parkes can write history some days from now. Is it going to happen? Let’s wait to see!

About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karin Sierralta (Peru).