Going into the Tahiti Pro Ethan Ewing was ranked no.2 in the world and had already secured his slot for the World Title Showdown at Trestles. However, with Griffin Colapinto nipping at his heels, the 24-year-old obviously wanted to defend his ranking and the competitive advantage it gave him on Finals Day. Who knows, a good result might have even given him an edge over Filipe Toledo going into Trestles. So, with all this in mind he went to Teahupo’o early to prepare.
Unfortunately, in a warm-up session before the event on Wednesday (AEST), out at six-foot Teahupo’o, Ewing had a wipeout (footage below), which ultimately landed him in the local hospital. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the injury was later diagnosed as a fracture to his L3 and L4 vertebrae.
The World Surf League (WSL) announced that Ethan suffered an injury and will be out of this year’s Tahiti Pro. It’s still unclear whether Ewing will be able to compete at Trestles on Finals Day. However, it’s not looking promising; spinal injuries of this nature can require surgery and certainly an extensive amount of rehab. Recovery time for this type of spinal injury is usually around six to 12 weeks. With the Final Five going down in less than five weeks, it’s looking like Ethan’s world title hopes have been dashed for 2023. The devastating news comes in Ethan’s best season to date on the Championship Tour. His world no.2 ranking was earned with a victory Bells and two second place finishes in CT events.
The WSL also announced that there would be no substitute in the Final Five if Ethan cannot surf. So, if Ethan, who’s already qualified, withdraws from the Final Five event, only four men will surf at Trestles. Sitting just outside the top five, Medina, John John and Jack Robinson are still in the same situation pre Ethan’s injury, and all have a chance to claim a Finals Day spot.
Tracks sends our best wishes to Ethan and for a speedy recovery. His injury comes as a major blow to Australian fans, who are all desperate to see a surfer from Down Under compete on Finals Day. For now they’ll have to pin their hopes on a late charge from Jack Robinson at a location that certainly favours him.
FINAL 5 CUT OFF LINE
Tracks Tahiti Pro preview with Julian Wilson is coming soon.
