Goofy footer Sammy Lowe has powered his way to a breakthrough podium result at the North Narrabeen Junior Pro.
The 2026 ADCO Sports Excellence Scholar’s final score of 13.50 (7.17 + 6.33) was shy only of winner and reigning Australia/Oceania junior champion Dane Henry’s 17.87 (9.87 + 8.00), and current series leader Ocean Lancaster.
Clean three-to-four foot peaks provided the perfect opportunity for surfers to push their limits, and Lowe grabbed the opportunity to showcase his big tricks and aggressive rail work early, posting the biggest heat scores of the competition.
By landing a podium finish, Lowe placed his name among plenty of greats - previous winners include Kelly Slater, Sally Fitzgibbons and Mark Occhilupo.
“Due to my size, I’m definitely suited to bigger waves, but we don’t often get them in competitions,” Lowe said.
“It was so fun to get some great surf and put all of my training into practice.”
It is Lowe’s second Junior Pro finals berth, the first achieved in October when he finished fourth in the Let’s Surf Lake Mac Pro Junior at Redhead Beach.
The result follows the former Illawarra local’s fifth at the Phillip Island Pro in March, with the two results boosting him up to fifth on the Australia/Oceana men’s junior tour rankings.
The Bachelor of Business student is edging closer to the top of the podium, an achievement he says takes versatility, as judges are looking for a variety of tricks in the modern surfer.
“The judges are looking for big turns and advanced surfing - it definitely takes a bit of everything to win,” he said.
“I only started competing professionally this year, and my surfing is improving every contest due to the amount of training I’m doing.”
“If I can keep progressing at the rate I’m going, I know I can get to the top.”
Lowe will now turn his attention to the Traeger Grilles Pro Junior at Lennox Heads in July, where he will be looking for a breakthrough win.