It was late on Sunday afternoon, the evening before the opening day of the Newcastle Pro. As a cast of the world's best WQS warriors turned the southern corner of Merewether into a cauldron of naked ambition, a familiar figure walked down the beach. The straw hair was a little thinner on top and the stride a little less assertive but it was unmistakably Owen Wright.
Watching on, I was afraid Owen might get gobbled up by the hungry WQS warriors who were zipping and flying all over the rippable 3 ft peaks. That perhaps he'd lost the edge that would enable him to compete in such a frenzied pre comp crowd. After watching Owen catch two waves it seemed my worst fears had been confirmed. When he fell twice on regulation turns I walked away. I didn't want to watch any more and was concerned that his first heat back, after his brain was violently rattled against his skull at Pipe in 2015, might prove to be a tragic last act in an otherwise sterling career. I'm sure there were many who shared my fears.
Over the next day I heard suggestions that Owen had been given the 100% ok from Nuerosurgeons. I'd also been told by a Sth coast local that when sponsors had asked him to demonstrate his skills in a secret south coast session, Owen had performed well and restored their faith in his ability. At the contest site, recently anointed super-coach, Glen Hall, indicated he was in Owen's corner and sounded quietly confident. Still, I wasn't convinced.
Midway through Tuesday and I found myself, by virtue of the random schedule in the commentary team at Surfest, asked to make the call on Owen's return heat. Needless to say it was an anxious moment for all, not least of all Owen.
What wasn't plainly clear on the webcast was that Owen chose to paddle well south of the surfers in the heat and surf an obscure, rock-bound, wrong-way left the locals call Ladies because of its proximity to the Ladies rock baths at Merewether. It was a big risk for someone who was already putting it all on the line by pulling on a singlet again with hundreds of thousands tuned in.
Although aiming for a measure of impartiality, from the commentary booth it was difficult not to reflect the overwhelming positive sentiment that was riding on Owen.
When Owen took off on the first wave of consequence, the surfing world simultaneously celebrated and breathed a collective sigh of relief. All the Owen trademarks were obviously still in tact -the spring loaded bottom turn, the casual drift of the tail and the peculiar sense of grace that belongs to the big man who boasts perfect economy of movement. Perhaps the transitions were a little shaky at times but that's to be expected from a surfer who hasn't been in the water quite as much as usual.
Owen controlled the heat from the outset, growing in confidence with every ride. The tail drift became a -180 tail whip and the fins projected well beyond the lip as his decision to surf the solo left turned out to be the perfect strategy for the surfing soldier who was returning to the competition battlefront.
Soon the high five and the low six were replaced by high sevens and you could almost feel the mood lift amongst surfers around the world.
Up until that moment no one, including Owen, was really sure if he'd ever be able to win a heat again.
In the end he won convincingly. It might have all transpired in a humble corner of the world on an inconspicuous rocky outcrop, but as far as surfing moments went it was huge.
Post heat, Owen had to face one more test. Like every other winner he was to be paraded before the media; in his case to demonstrate he could still handle a little victory banter.
More than anything else Owen's relief was palpable. There is perhaps no greater feeling in the world than rediscovering some valuable thing you thought might have been gone forever. Owen was opening a lost wallet that somehow had a million bucks stuffed in it.
Owen spoke of becoming a proud father while working through his recovery, and sincerely thanked all those fans and well wishers who had supported him through his complicated comeback journey.
Stoke is the most overused word in the surfing lexicon but when Owen Wright reiterated how "stoked " he was to be back it seemed like there was no term or phrase in the world that would better reflect the way he was feeling.
For Owen the return to public life has only just begun. We will still watch his progress with gentle and hopeful eyes, but for today the Big O can be celebrated as a genuine surfing hero.
