World Surf League finals: Four Aussies in world title battle at Trestles
Tyler Wright could confirm her status as one of the sports greats while Ethan Ewing is on track for a miraculous comeback as four Aussies fight for the world surfing title in California.
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Tyler Wright is on the cusp of a third world title that would confirm her status as one of modern surfing’s greats.
Six years after she won her second world title and more than five since a bout of influenza A triggered post-viral syndrome and a long and tortuous road back to the top, Wright heads into the World Surf League’s (WSL) finals day – the window for which opens on Saturday – as one of the favourites after a stellar 2023 season.
Under the top-five format, she will face the winner of the knockout rounds between athletes ranked three to five – including countrywoman Molly Picklum – in a sudden-death heat, with the winner advancing to a best-of-three series against world no. 1 Carissa Moore.
Wright and fourth-ranked Picklum are among four Aussies in line for the WSL title, with Queenslander Ethan Ewing (no. 3) and Western Australia’s Jack Robinson (no. 5) vying for the men’s crown at California’s Lower Trestles break.
Lifting the trophy for a third time would cap an incredible journey for Wright, who spent almost a year in bed fighting agonising pain before she began the long road back to full health.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in finals contention,” Wright told the WSL broadcast after officially sealing her spot in the final five.
“I have ideas and thoughts of what I want to do but it’s just staying in my process and I think that’s where the joy has come back into it for me, kind of just staying focused on that.
“I haven’t finished a year in five years, so that’d be pretty cool.”
Wright lifted just one trophy this year – but it was at Bells Beach, where she went back-to-back to ring the bell in one of surfing’s iconic events.
It was one of five finals she featured in this season, although at Pipeline, Margaret River and in El Salvador and Rio, she fell at the final hurdle.
Twice, she was beaten by Moore, while young Americans Caroline Marks (El Salvador) and Caitlin Simmers (Rio) – who both won two events this season – beat her in the other finals.
Wright’s consistency this season has been incredible though.
She made the semi-finals or better in eight of the 10 events, with only Moore better.
It’s the third year in succession that Moore has finished on top of the rankings but as she found out last season when Stephanie Gilmore made an incredible run from fifth to claim a record eighth world title, anything can happen on finals day.
And she will be wary of Wright, who has the ability to dominate anyone on her day.
Ethan Ewing
Ewing’s push to third place this season and a second showing in the WSL finals came off the back of an emotional win at Bell’s Beach, where he repeated a feat achieved by his mother Helen Lambert 40 years ago.
Lambert died when Ewing was just six years old but he has followed in her footsteps and the humble North Stradbroke product has been rated the surfer most likely to clinch Australia’s first men’s title since Mick Fanning won his third crown a decade ago.
His title charge seemed doomed when he broke two vertebrae in his back when free surfing at the notorious Teahupo’o break ahead of the final event of the season.
But he has made a miraculous recovery to take his place in the finals.
“Since making it last year and not performing, it’s been a huge goal of mine just to get back there and try and do better and have a show at the world title,” Ewing said after his place in the final five was confirmed.
His injury woes mean he won’t take to the water at Trestles 100 per cent fit but he knows how lucky he was not to have suffered a life-altering injury after hitting the reef on his back just weeks ago.
Molly Picklum
A year after failing to make the mid-season cut in her rookie championship tour season, Picklum finds herself in the final five, having won an event and worn the leader’s yellow jersey early in a season in which she never dropped below a quarter-final finish.
She’ll have to knock off some of the biggest names in the sport if she’s to win from the first knockout heat of the day but her fearless approach this season has paid big dividends.
“I feel like all the girls deserve a final five spot and everyone puts in so much effort,” said Picklum, who won the Hurley Pro at Sunset Beach early in the season and wore the tour leader’s yellow jersey through the Australian swing.
“A full year’s effort and to be recognised in the final five is definitely cool.”
After finishing the year in fourth place, she’ll take on fellow rookie Caitlin Simmers in the opening knockout heat, with the winner progressing to a match-up against world no. 3 Caroline Marks.
“I’m excited for that and first heat against Catie, it’s straight into it, there’s no time for warming up, it’s just fireworks.”
Jack Robinson
Robinson hopes to end his rollercoaster season the way he started – with a win that will seal Australia’s first men’s title in a decade.
The West Australian seemed the man to beat earlier this year after winning the opening event of the season at Pipeline and wearing the yellow jersey through the first three rounds before a knee injury halted his run.
While he returned to the tour, he was at long odds to snare a place in the top five, heading into the final event of the year in Tahiti in eighth place.
But his win – in a final against three-time world champion Gabriel Medina gave him the last finals spot ahead of the Brazilian and he heads to Trestles with bolstered confidence.
“It’s such an interesting feeling,” the West Australian said of returning to the winners’ circle with his confidence restored.
“I was so focused but also enjoying it – it was meant to be.
“I just never stopped (believing). Even when I was down through the year, I pulled it back up and I want to thank the people who are here with me.
“I feel like it was time for this moment.”
Robinson will take on another Brazilian at Trestles, heading into the knockout final against Joao Chianca in the opening heat, with the winner progressing to a match-up with Ewing.
Originally published as World Surf League finals: Four Aussies in world title battle at Trestles
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