Molly Picklum Is Your 2019 WSL Australia / Oceania Junior Qualifying Series Champion

After an unbelievable year and five event wins, packed in between travelling, training and going to school, Molly Picklum is officially your 2019 WSL Australia / Oceania Junior Qualifying Series Champion.

The Central Coast teenager surfed an incredible year, winning five of the six events that she entered. With this record and her championship, Molly also locked in the top regional qualification spot for the upcoming World Junior Championships to be held in Taiwan later this month.

“It’s such a great feeling to finally get my hands on this trophy,” says Molly.

“It all feels real for me now. I still have a lot to look forward to, especially with the World Junior Championships just around the corner. There’s so much to be excited about right now.”

At just 16 years old, Molly has been turning heads around the surfing world, not only with her impeccable performance on the Junior QS but more recently with her prowess in the air, nailing a technical backside air during a freesurf in the Waco, Texas wave pool. In 2019 it has become clear that Molly is a young star on the rise.

“This year has been an amazing experience for me,” she continues. “I’ve learned a lot and have definitely improved in my surfing and my competing. Going to the wave pool was awesome and it’s such a great place to work on technique and new manoeuvres. I knew I could do frontside airs but not backside, so that even surprised me. I can’t wait to apply it all in Taiwan and give it my best shot.”

The only other junior competitor to ever win five events on the Junior Qualification series was current CT surfer Macy Callaghan, who happens to hail from the very same beach as Molly. With a nearly-unbeaten track record on the Junior QS, Molly is on the fast track to the big leagues.

“As someone who grew up in my hometown and I grew up surfing with, it’s been really cool to watch Macy build through the ranks and get to where she is on the CT. I hope to be joining her at that level soon. To join her as an Australia / Oceania Junior Champion is an honour and I’d love to back it up as she did with a World Junior Title to my name.”

Molly also frequently travels with the Rip Curl Women’s Team, learning from and being mentored by the likes Tyler Wright, Nikki van Dijk, Alana Blanchard and Bethany Hamilton.

After snagging her Junior QS Championship trophy, Molly now shifts her focus to the WSL World Junior Championships at the Taiwan Open of Surfing which will run from November 26 – December 1.

We wish Molly the best of luck in her run at the Junior World Title, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this bright name in surfing’s rising ranks.