Isla Huppatz And Dane Henry Crowned World Junior Champs  

It was a clean sweep for Australia and team Rip Curl as 18-year-old Isla Huppatz and 19-year-old Dane Henry claimed victory at the World Surf League (WSL) World Junior Championships over the weekend.

Competing against the world’s best under-20 surfers at La Union beach in the Philippines, Finals Day demanded smart wave selection and critical small wave skills to top the podium in inconsistent one-to-two-foot swell.  

Both surfers will now gain valuable positions for their first season on the Challenger Series in 2026. 

Huppatz was a standout all event, defeating 2023 World Junior Champion Sierra Kerr in an all-Australian Final. The victory sees her join an impressive lineage of Australian World Junior Champions, including Sally Fitzgibbons, Laura Enever, and Isabella Nichols. 

"I can't believe it to be honest, this is crazy," Huppatz said. "When the heat was counting down, like 5 seconds to go, I started to tear up. I couldn't believe it. It just hit me all at once. Sierra [Kerr]’s one of my best mates, so she was so stoked for me. I'm so glad I got to share the Final with her.” 

Henry also capped off an incredible competitive season with the biggest win of his career. After winning gold at the ISA World Surfing Games in September 2025, adding to his existing ISA U/18 World Junior gold, Henry went on to claim the regional Australia/Oceania Junior title and his first Qualifying Series (QS) win.  

With the win, Henry became the fifth Australian man to secure a WSL World Junior title, overcoming Nadav Attar in the Final to join the likes of Joel Parkinson and Ethan Ewing. 

"I've been dreaming of this for a long time," Henry said. "It's been special sharing this moment with just my coach and my beautiful mother, Kiri Henry. She's the best mum on the planet. My circle's so good right now and I'm over the moon. There's been a lot of big Aussie names to win this comp, and this is one to tick off for me." 

Both Henry and Huppatz joined the Rip Curl family in early 2022 and embarked on the Search in 2025 alongside an all-star cast of surfing legends including Mick Fanning, Mason Ho, and Stephanie Gilmore.  

The pair will now turn their attention to the 2026 Challenger Series as they pursue their dream of qualifying for the World Championship Tour. We can’t wait to cheer them on every step of the way.