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Top-ranked Australian world title challenger Ethan Ewing is on track to compete at the WSL finals just one month after suffering a broken back in a wipeout at Teahupo’o.
Ewing fractured two vertebrae in his back three weeks ago when he came unstuck at the infamous Tahitian wave while practising for the Tahiti Pro.
Ethan Ewing in action at Bells Beach earlier this year.Credit: Justin McManus
The 24-year-old Queenslander was taken to shore by his father on a jet ski after coming off at one of the world’s heaviest waves and taken to hospital on the island, where he was diagnosed with a fractured L3 and L4 vertebrae.
The injury prompted fears that Ewing, ranked second in the world before his wipeout, would be ruled out of the WSL’s season-ending final five event at Trestles, California.
Ewing has kept a low profile since returning home from Tahiti, with he and his camp declining interview requests and refusing to rule him out of taking his place in the finals, the window for which runs from late next week, September 8 to September 16.
The wave that broke Ethan Ewing’s back at Teahupo’o.Credit: Twitter
Speaking publicly for the first time since returning to his home base on North Stradbroke Island, Ewing confirmed his recovery was on track and that he was aiming to take his place in the finals.
“It’s been just over three weeks since I got home after injuring my back in Tahiti,” Ewing said in an Instagram post on Thursday morning.
“It’s been great to have been back here with so much support with my rehab and I’m much more comfortable now that my pain levels have dropped significantly! I’ve still got a long way to go but I’m doing everything I can to give myself a chance to compete at Trestles!”
Ewing’s injury and withdrawal from the Tahiti Pro meant he slipped to third in the world ranking behind Brazilian Filipe Toledo and American Griffin Colapinto.
The WSL’s final five format pitches the top five men’s and women’s surfers into a one-day, winner-take-all format, where the fifth seed (Australian Jack Robinson) surfs against the fourth seed (Brazilian Joao Chianca), with the winner then taking on third place and so on.
Ewing’s rise in 2023 has been forged off the back of a historic win at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in April, following in the footsteps of his late mother Helen, who won the same event 40 years earlier at the age of 18.
Two second-place finishes at the Rio Pro in Brazil and Jeffrey’s Bay in South Africa solidified his finals place, while his strong J-Bay result also qualified Ewing for next year’s Olympic Games event at Teahupo’o.
Along with Robinson, Australia will be represented by 20-year-old Molly Picklum (fourth seed) and two-time world champion Tyler Wright (second) at Trestles.
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