Dean Bowen
The new Occy

Powerful goofy footer, Dean Bowen from Gerroa, Australia, was recently crowned the newest Under 18 World Champ at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship at La FAE, Ecuador on April 5, 2009.

His victory was fundamental in earning the Australian Team the Gold Medal in the Nations Ranking. In the final against Hawaiian Dylan Goodale, Bowen was aware that this face off would determine the Overall Team Standings lead. Bowen went for it, with a powerful snap and a stylish roundhouse cutback, out-surfing Brazilian Miguel Pupo, Frenchmen Maxime Huscenot and Goodale.

A proud Australian, he was stoked to win the Under 18 World Champ title for his country.  Bowen said once the final was over and Australia was named the Golden team: “I feel on top of the world. This is by far the biggest win of my life. I train for this contest all year, it is what I do. I am stoked, I cannot believe we won. I would like to dedicate this win to my late mother whom I lost when I was nine years old, and to my father who is recovering from knee surgery back at home.”

Dean Bowen is 17 and he surfs different than his peers, he’s one of the few that went to the “old school” of surfing and got an “A” in the power surfing department. He also got an “A” in the Bottom turn and Clean Surfing department, and he’s showing the world that not every grom is trying to do a Rodeo Flip, there’re some like him that focus on big top to bottom super powerful moves and is really good to know that he have won enough to prove that this kind of surfing still impresses the judges.

Bowen placed 1st at the International King Of The Groms, France, 2006, at Taj's Small Fries U/16, 2007, at DVS Cadet Cup, 2007 and he placed 3rd in the Occy’s Grom Comp U/16 2007, 2nd at the Motorola Pro Junior in Newcastle and 3rd at the Billabong Pro Juniors in Bali.

Another highlight in Bowen’s career that shows the kind of surfer he is, was achieved during the 2008 Trials of the Billabong Pro in Teahupoo, he was only 16 years old and he beat in pumping 8 to 10 feet heavy barrelling waves some of the best tube riders in the world after placing 9th in the event. 

This year, soon after winning his biggest title ever, the Gold Medal on the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, Bowen went back to Tahiti and he made it to the second round, it wasn’t probably what he was looking for after obtaining a 9th in the previous edition of the event… But anyway he proved again in a testing ground that he knows what he has under his feet: amazing surfing level.

According to his long time sponsor webpage profile, Billabong, Bowen is: “As you’d imagine from someone who started surfing on a twinny at age three, Dean has wanted to conquer the big stuff for a long time, but he also boasts a list of competitive achievements as long as the Superbank.

A hard charging south coast NSW grub, he is proud to be the Junior President of Werri Beach Boardriders and loves nothing more than getting stuck into his local reefs. Dean earned himself huge national respect for a 16th birthday session when he was towed into a few lefthanders at a maxed out bombie.

Dean even paddled into a few waves on a bodyboard “just for laughs & to show those guys that making a takeoff laying down doesn’t take practice.” In 2004, at the tender age of 13, Dean made his North Shore debut in Hawaii, having a fair dig at Off The Wall & Pipeline, and also enjoying Rocky Lefts and Rockpiles. In 2006 Dean almost took out Bruce Irons in a poker game and the next year he entered the Air Tahiti Nui/Von Zipper trials at Teahupo’o, charging the psycho session after the final and scoring one the best barrels of the afternoon.

Dean loves to hook up with Adventure Division maniac and former South Coaster Dylan Longbottom to chase the big stuff, but he’ll happily ride whatever the ocean throws up – often for hours on end. In his own words, “I just love surfing. I try to surf twice a day every day, no matter what it’s like.” Go Dean, we’re diggin’ your groove!”.

Meeting Dean Bowen

About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karin Sierralta (Peru).

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