Surfing
Surfing
Meet Australia's Jarvis Earle, the world junior champ whose time is now
With a world junior title, a surfboard plastered in sponsors, a megawatt smile and the backing of an army of family and friends, Jarvis Earle might just be Australian surfing’s next big thing.
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At just 20 years of age, Jarvis Earle’s future is bright. The lightning-fast goofyfoot is equally adept at cracking the lip as he is tucking into the tube; he’s the proud owner of an arsenal of explosive aerials. He possesses the priceless ability to win events, no matter the venue or format. From World Junior Championships to wave pool contests, and Indonesian reefs to tricky Taiwanese harbour mouths, you don’t want to draw Cronulla’s favourite son if it involves a jersey.
Surfing's happiest human, Jarvis Earle, at home in Sydney
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
As well as his reputation for elite performances under pressure, Earle is known for his eternally positive outlook, but don’t be fooled, beneath his platinum shock of hair and behind the perma-grin lies an intensely driven competitor with world title ambitions, and a grounded attitude shaped by family, community, and years of hard work.
Read on to learn more about Earle’s backstory, and find out what he thinks it’ll take to make it to the top.
Jarvis Earle’s opening act
Family, foamies and fun is the classic Australian path to surfing, and such was the way for Jarvis Earle. Born on August 8, 2004, Earle’s inspiration to hit the water came a few short years later from father Paul, while older brother Dion provided all the motivation he needed to keep trying to crack the code.
“I don’t really remember my first wave properly, I was so young!” says Earle, “Dad used to take me to the beach all the time and push me into waves on a soft top, from there I was just trying to keep up with my brother. As I got a bit better, Dad started taking me to a few contests, and I found out pretty quickly I really loved surfing and competing. “I started getting results, and I’ve kept at it ever since.”
"That's my local! Funnest little reefbreak!" – Jarvis Earle
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
Earle’s parents are a recurring anchor in his story. After every win, his first phone call is always to his biggest fan and greatest supporter, his mother, Sonya.
“Mum is always so happy to see me do well that I just have to ring her,” laughs Earle.
The kid from Cronulla
Less spoken of than Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and perfectly happy to keep it that way, Cronulla is a hotspot of talent on the city’s southern border that has produced surfing legends such as 1980s travel pioneer Jim Banks and 1999 World Champion Mark Occhilupo, world record holder and mental health advocate Blake Johnston, competitors-turned-coaches Andy King and Richard Marsh, and current Championship Tour stalwart Connor O’Leary, to name just a few.
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With no shortage of local heroes to learn from, Earle’s rise was built on a foundation laid by his family, community, and his beloved Elouera Boardriders.
“There’s a big surf community in Cronulla,” he says, “so I’m lucky, I have a pretty good support network.”
Earle takes his inspiration in the water from a range of influences. On the style front, he’s drawn to Julian Wilson, Ethan Ewing and John John Florence, but as a goofyfooter, it’s Gabriel Medina who stands out, as well as hometown favourite and longtime inspiration O’Leary.
“Growing up, I was always watching Connor,” says Earle. “He's on the Championship Tour now, but I’ve always looked up to him.”
The junior star on the rise
Shelfspace in the Earle household became a rare commodity once Jarvis first pulled on the jersey, his imperious young surfing career seeing him relocate the nation’s junior trophy cabinet to Cronulla.
Earle’s breakout moment came when he took out the 2022 World Junior Championships, an event previously heralded the arrival of stars like Andy Irons, Sally Fitzgibbons and Ethan Ewing. The win was no overnight success story, but more the culmination of a decade of hard work. Earle had built momentum on the junior series in Australia and overseas, gone on to rack up big Qualifying Series victories in Taiwan and Indonesia. He won over fans with his smooth style along the way.
The fact that the finals went down in pumping six-foot waves, at Seaside in San Diego, California, only made the win sweeter.
Jarvis Earle needs no excuse to smile, and this win lit up San Diego
© Kenny Morris/World Surf League
Jarvis Earle carving his way to a world junior title
© Kenny Morris/World Surf League
Jarvis Earle's high risk approach rewarded him with a world junior title
© Kenny Morris/World Surf League
“This was such an insane competition,” said Earle, after raising the trophy. “Everyone was ripping, so to win it means a lot. It doesn't even feel real right now!”
Loud surfing, quiet confidence
If Jarvis comes across as calm and focused, that’s by design. He’s put serious work into the mental side of performance, understanding how vital it is for success at the elite level. With the increased expectations that come with success, and now battling the Challenger Series in pursuit of Championship Tour qualification, that mindset has become even more important.
Jarvis Earle tail high between heats, en route to winning the Taiwan Open
© Jasmine Chang/Red Bull Content Pool
“There’s a lot of pressure, especially after winning the World Juniors. “Everyone expects you to perform. I’ve been learning a lot about staying in the right mind space. I always try to stay present in the moment, and not get caught up on what’s happened in the past, or what could happen in the future.”
Jarvis Earle going hard in West Oz
© Trevor Moran/Red Bull Content Pool
“I think I’m pretty well-rounded as a surfer, and I feel comfortable in any conditions,” says Earle, “My ability to go for it under priority and still get scores is another strength, and I’m a really competitive person too. If the conditions are bad, it might not be that fun for a free surf, but once you chuck the rashie on, it makes it exciting, and gives you something to work towards.”
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Jarvis Earle Zero Excuses Pistol Squats Challenge
His confidence, he says, all comes from preparation. “If I know I’ve been putting in effort, in the gym, in the water, I feel more confident, and that always helps. If I’ve done all the work, I can back myself in competition.”
The best advice Earle’s been given, however, is simple, and harks back to childhood at the beach with his brother.
Jarvis Earle's winning grin
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
Always keep things fun! If you’re enjoying something, that’s when you’ll succeed
Though Earle lives and breathes surfing, he’s not afraid to enjoy the downtime. Even away from competition and training, you’ll still find him in the water with his mates, followed by a sauna and ice bath session, or trying his hand at his latest hobby, golf. “I suck at it though,” he laughs, “and it’s not fun when my friends are better than me!”
When asked what he can’t live without, the answer is instant. “Surfing. Easy. If I wasn’t surfing, I’d be pretty lost. Thankfully, I found it.”
Bucketlist
Like many surfers, Earle lights up when asked about waves, his hunger for heavy barrels bubbling to the surface. His favourites? “Macaronis in Indonesia; Cloudbreak and Restaurants in Fiji, I’ll keep that as one; and Dunny Bowls (his homebreak in Cronulla). Whenever it’s on, I’m out there all day.”
Earle’s also surfed Skeleton Bay, the Namibian freight train that offers one of the longest tubes in the world. “That’s about as close as I’ll get to a perfect wave,” he says.
For all the travel and titles, his sights are set firmly on one thing: “Jarvis Earle, World Champ. That’s my goal. I’d love to see that headline.”
What's next?
Earle is waiting in the wings, ready to take on surfing’s biggest stage. With a grounded upbringing, competitive fire and a clear sense of purpose, he’s tracking firmly towards realising his Championship Tour dreams.
Refreshingly self-aware for someone his age, Earle is happy to block out the noise and put his faith in regular training, developing good habits and a positive attitude to take care of the rest.
Jarvis Earle's playground, a stone's throw from his Cronulla home
© Brett Hemmings/Red Bull Content Pool
As Jarvis navigates the chaotic and cutthroat world of professional surfing, it’s clear that whatever comes next, from Championship Tour qualification to golfing breakthroughs or even that dream world title, he’s got what it takes to enjoy the highs and roll with the punches through the lows. If things ever get really off track? You’ll probably find him in the sauna, smiling and sweating the stress away, plotting his next move.
Jarvis Earle doesn’t take surfing too seriously – “we paddle out in the ocean on a block of foam to catch a wave and do some little wiggles and turns on it” – but for now, those wiggles and turns are working, and the sky is the limit as to where they might take him.
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