Deadly Vibe Issue 58 December 2001
He may only be 14 years old, but this little grommet has been riding the swell for over half his life. Arlon was taught to surf at age eight by his father who recognised his son’s natural ability in the water. Two years later his dad entered him in the Rusty Grommets* Festival in Lennox Head, where Arlon managed to make it through to the second round.
While he may ride a three-fin Joker surfboard, Arlon is deadly serious when it comes to surfing.
“I surf twice a day at home here in Pottsville,” he says. “I reckon it’s one of the best breaks around and me and all my mates love surfing. I also love the break at Black Rock.”
In the last couple of years, Arlon has really knocked his opponents out of the water. In 2000 he took out first place in the Under 16 division of the annual Fingal Bay Indigenous Surf Competition. More recently he won the Grommet Competition at Duranbah Beach near the Gold Coast.
With so much going for him, what does Arlon want to do with his future?
“Keep on surfing, both competitively and as a pastime. I’d like to try and make it to Newcastle next year for the Indigenous Challenge there. Being number one in the world isn’t the most important thing. I’d just like to be able to make a living out of professional surfing like my heroes Sunny Garcia and Kalani Robb.”
* Grommet is a surfing term meaning ‘young surfie’.
(Story 1/12/2001 end.)
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