Lei All the Way: Leihani Zoric Makes Surfing History at 13
Broken Head surfer Leihani Kaloha Zoric has returned home a world champion after a history-making performance in El Salvador – carrying the pride, love and support of her family, culture and Byron Bay surfing community.
“Lei all the way.”
That was the rallying cry as Byron Bay’s surfing community gathered at The Shack Room at the Beach Hotel to celebrate Leihani Kaloha Zoric and her extraordinary achievements on the world stage.
At just 13, the Broken Head surfer has become the youngest competitor in history to win the ISA U18 Girls World Junior Championship and the first Indigenous world champion surfer.
Competing three age divisions above her own and entering the championship in El Salvador as a wildcard, Leihani returned home with two gold medals. Alongside her individual world title, she helped Australia’s Irukandjis secure a third consecutive world team title and a record tenth overall.
“These medals might have my name on them, but there are so many people in them,” Leihani said.
A history-making performance
Leihani saved her best surfing for the final at La Bocana, posting a 16.00 – the highest heat total of the entire U18 Girls division.
Her victory places her among nine Australian women to have won the ISA World Junior title, alongside surfing greats including Stephanie Gilmore, Tyler Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons.
The result was built on resilience. Leihani arrived in El Salvador unwell and spent six days out of the water before working her way back into the competition with support from her family, teammates, the Irukandjis coaching staff and her coach, former world champion Chelsea Hedges.
“When you’re having fun, that’s when you’re doing your best. For 20 minutes I go out there with the mindset of, I just want to have as much fun as possible. Of course I want to get some really high scores and show the world what I’ve got, but that’s what’s most important to me at the end of the day: having fun, doing my best and just being myself.”
Despite competing against surfers up to five years older, Leihani said the intense rivalry remained in the water.
“In the water, they were gnarly. They were going to run over you to try and make sure that they won. But when you come on land, it’s all about being friends, being yourself and enjoying everything.”
A community behind her
Getting to the championship was a community effort. After being selected as an U18 wildcard and earning the opportunity to pull on the green and gold for the first time, Leihani launched a fundraising campaign through the Australian Sports Foundation to help cover the costs of competing internationally.
Local supporters, businesses and the wider surfing community rallied behind her, helping make the journey to El Salvador possible.
The homecoming celebration brought together Leihani’s family, friends, fellow surfers, coaches and supporters to recognise both the historic result and the community that helped her reach the world stage.
“You only have to look at this whole room, because each and every one of you has played a part in Leihani’s journey,” said Leihani’s mum, Kirsty Zoric.
ABC North Coast’s Bruce Mackenzie hosted the evening, with Leihani’s mindset coach Simon Williams leading a panel conversation. Williams is the founder of Motivation and Performance Partners, known as MAPP Life, and has more than 25 years of experience working with elite athletes, Olympians, surfers and business leaders.
“When we are in a state of confidence, we make greater decisions for ourselves, but we also make greater decisions for other people. From that love comes a desire to express, inspire and lift others up, to bring them along with you. Anything is possible, but with the right systems, tools, strategies and support, it becomes probable,” Williams said.
Leihani was joined on the panel by her mum Kirsty, dad Clay and brother Atlas, Byron Bay Boardriders President Neil Cameron, coach Chelsea Hedges and fellow junior surfer and close friend Arabella Georgeson.
Clay Zoric said trusting his daughter helped him remain calm while watching her compete.
“I just trust her. I’ve got full belief that she knows what to do. It’s not me out there trying to win for me. She’s out there doing it for herself. Honestly, I was actually super calm the whole entire time, because it wasn’t me. It was her.”
Kirsty said the family had always encouraged Leihani and Atlas to approach life with love.
“You just want to love what you do, and love your friends, and love your family. I think that’s what we’ve really tried to instill in Leihani and Atlas from a young age. Simply do what you do with love, and it will always come back.”
Reflecting on the different roles within the family, she added:
“I kind of feel like I wear many hats. We all kind of work as a team. Leihani would probably tell you I’m a ‘sweaty parent’, so she doesn’t want me to have anything to do with the comp stuff. Clay brings a bit more balance. He’s Mr Fun, and I’m the serious one.”
Talent, creativity and character
Chelsea Hedges described Leihani as one of the most exciting athletes she has worked with.
“She’s probably one of the most exciting athletes that I’ve worked with. She’s very creative and unpredictable in what she’s going to do each session, which is a pretty special trait to have. She has so much time for other people, other girls and boys. It’s absolutely beautiful, and that’s going to carry her a long way in her competitive career, too.”
Arabella Georgeson, who received the Surfing NSW Team Spirit Award at the 2025 Australian Surfing Titles, spoke about the pride she feels watching her best friend compete.
“When I watch her surf and I watch her compete, and I see that she believes in herself, and I know that she puts the work in, I am just so proud of her.”
In a heartfelt speech, Arabella paid tribute to the determination behind Leihani’s success.
“Everyone else sees what she’s achieved: the medals, the prizes. But I see what it took to get there. People will always question you. What matters is whether you believe them, and Leihani chooses not to.”
Arabella also credited Williams and MAPP Life, where both surfers work on their mindset, with teaching them to embrace pressure, act from love rather than for love and balance collaboration with competition.
“It’s easy to celebrate someone when they’re winning. Who you are when nobody is watching, that’s what really matters. And Leihani is just a beautiful person when nobody is watching. She has this ability to make the people around her want to be better just by being herself.”
A dream realised
The celebration also featured the premiere of Lei All The Way, an 11-minute tribute film created by Byron Bay Boardriders.
The film opens with messages from the club’s young surfers before moving to words from Leihani’s mentors and supporters, including Chris Hemsworth, five-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Carissa Moore, professional surfers Laura Enever and Isabella Nichols, and Byron Bay Boardriders legends Danny “Willsy” Wills and Kieren Perrow.
It closes with highlights from El Salvador and includes footage of a much younger Leihani sharing the dream she has now achieved.
“Ever since I was tiny I would always say to my mum and dad, I want to be the first ever Aboriginal woman world champion surfer.”
The club’s young surfers summed up their support in four words: “Lei all the way.”
Proudly carrying culture and community
A proud Yued Yorga woman who grew up on Bundjalung Country, Leihani carries a strong connection to her mob, family and community.
Her world title caps a remarkable year in which she won both the Junior Girls and Open Women’s divisions at the 2026 Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles. She also claimed the Under 16 Girls NSW Junior State Title after winning three from three events in the Surfing Australia Junior Series and was selected for the Stab High Ladybirds specialty air event in China.
Leihani is also an ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport’s Share a Yarn program, which connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high-performance athletes with respected First Nations mentors to strengthen their cultural identity and support them to become advocates within their sports.
Byron Bay Boardriders President Neil Cameron said her achievement was a source of pride and inspiration.
“To see one of our own achieve something like this on the world stage is incredibly special. Lei has grown up surfing our local breaks and being part of this club. Her achievement is an inspiration to every young surfer who dreams of following in her footsteps.”
For Kirsty, the family’s connection to surfing has always been about more than results.
“It’s not about the results, it’s about loving being in the ocean with a mate, and with us as a family. Some of my best memories are just us going surfing. And I think if you love what you do, it follows through with life. What you put out, you receive back tenfold. So I think it’s really important to encourage your mates, always look out for one another.”
In the club’s colours
Leihani’s world title builds on an already impressive record with Byron Bay Boardriders.
She competed in the Australian Boardriders Battle national grand final at just 11 years old. At the 2025 grand final, she posted a breakout 9.13 – one of the highest scores of the event – and received the Layne Beachley Award.
In 2026, she was part of the Byron Bay team that finished runner-up in the national final on the Gold Coast.
Away from competition, Leihani and Kirsty created Lei’s Lu’au, an all-girls surf day that brings young female surfers together and supports the club’s focus on growing girls’ and women’s participation.
Leihani’s approach to surfing and life is captured in her own words:
“Dream higher than the stars and deeper than the ocean.”
What comes next
Leihani draws inspiration from her mentor Carissa Moore and Carissa’s father, Chris Moore, who also coaches her. Her other inspirations include Byron Bay Boardriders product Soli Bailey, the first professional surfer to compete under the Aboriginal flag in the World Surf League, and Cathy Freeman.
Freeman’s iconic victory lap at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags, remains a powerful reference point for Leihani.
“Cathy Freeman held both flags after she won. I thought that was an amazing thing. I hope I can do that one day.”
Leihani now turns her attention to representing Team NSW at the Australian Surfing Titles in Western Australia in November, followed by the next chapter of her competitive career in 2027.
Her long-term ambitions include qualifying for the Championship Tour, winning world titles and Olympic gold, and achieving enough success for her family to travel with her.
But her greatest ambition reaches beyond competitive results.
“My number one goal in life is to inspire all people, girls and boys of all different ages, just to bring everybody up, because when you’re bringing everybody up, we’re all feeding off each other’s energies.”
