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‘What a gem!’: Hilarious 11-year-old Aussie surfer steals hearts

Sabre Norris (front) with (left to right) Australian Junior World Champion Isabella Nichols, Hawaiian surfer Coco Ho, and Australian World Surf League surfer Sally Fitzgibbons.

Sabre Norris (front) with (left to right) Australian Junior World Champion Isabella Nichols, Hawaiian surfer Coco Ho, and Australian World Surf League surfer Sally Fitzgibbons. Photo: AAP

An 11-year-old surfing star has become an overnight internet sensation after giving a hilarious, no-holds-barred interview on the Today show.

Newcastle-based Sabre Norris this week became the youngest ever surfer to score a wildcard spot in a major local surfing event, earning her place at the Sydney International Women’s Pro in Cronulla.

Speaking to Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson on Thursday, the adorable Sabre said she “couldn’t believe” World Tour star Sally Fitzgibbons, who is staging the event, chose her as a wildcard.

“I can’t believe out of all the girls in the world she’s chosen me. I feel really excited but I’m a little bit nervous. Sometimes it feels like I’m going to vomit,” she said, prompting laughter from the Nine Network studio.

“Even if I get last [place] they’re going to do $250 prize money for last. I really would want to spend it on doughnuts. That would be bad for Sally because Sally is trying to eat healthy and encourage other people to eat healthy.

“So if I spend the $250 she gave me from her event on doughnuts, that would be really bad.”

The spunky surfer, who started surfing when she was five, kept the laughs coming by giving Stefanovic and Wilkinson a run-down of her father’s diet.

Her Dad, Justin Norris, is a former Olympic swimmer who won bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“My Dad was an athlete, but now he’s um … pretty fat,” Sabre told Stefanovic and Wilkinson, who were hysterically laughing.

“He used to eat like two litres of ice cream every single night! The Murray River salted caramel ones. And he used to get really angry at Mum because Mum didn’t always buy it for him. But when Dad got really angry Mum started buying it for him all the time. And then he had to suck his gut in for photos! It was really funny.”

Thankfully for Sabre’s dad, he’s managed to shed some weight after being inspired by his daughter’s focus on health and fitness.

“He’s actually lost 20 kilograms since Christmas because he’s seen me eating so healthy,” Sabre explained.

“Now he’s just eating cucumbers.”

Watch the hilarious interview

A video of the interview shared to the Nine News Perth Facebook page has been viewed more than 2 million times and has received thousands of comments, most of them agreeing Sabre is a national treasure and a bona fide legend.

“What a little cracker,” one viewer said.

“This little girl is a champion. She had me in stitches. What a little treasure,” another said.

Sports journalists around the world have also noticed the hilarious youngster, hailing her as the next big thing in surfing.

“If you don’t have a favourite junior surfing champion yet, it’s probably just because you’re not familiar with Sabre Norris,” Fox Sports journalist Pete Blackburn said.

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