Australian surfing judge removed for posting photo with Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and coach, online hate ensues

An Australian surf judge has been removed from judging the Olympic surfing competition which has led to a degree of online hate for an Aussie surfer caught up in the saga.

Ben Lowe has been removed by the International Surfing Association after posting a photo of himself with Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and coach Bede Durbidge. Picture: Instagram

Surfer Ethan Ewing has revealed he received hate messages online after an Australian judge at the Olympic surfing event was sensationally sacked because they took a photo together.

Ben Lowe has been removed by the International Surfing Association after posting a photo of himself with Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and coach Bede Durbidge. All hail from North Stradbroke Island.

“I don’t know too many details on that,” Ewing said.

“It is difficult. I was getting a lot of hate online just for some photo. He is obviously from the same town. It sucks to hear that and I wish him well.”

Ben Lowe has been removed by the International Surfing Association after posting a photo of himself with Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and coach Bede Durbidge. Picture: Instagram

The International Surfing Association declared via a statement that the decision was not related to Lowe’s performance at the Games where he had actually scored Ewing harsher than most others on the panel.

“The ISA is aware of a photo circulating on social media which one of the Olympic surfing judges from Australia is seen socially interacting with and Australian athlete and team manager,” an ISA statement read.

“It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team.

“To protect the integrity and fairness of the ongoing competition, and in accordance with the ISA code of conduct, and IOC code of ethics, the ISA Executive Committee has decided to remove the judge from the judging panel for the remainder of the competition.

“The decision is not related to the judge’s performance here at the Olympic Games.

“The ISA has communicated with all judges and teams to remind them of their responsibilities regarding appropriate behaviour.”

Ethan Ewing said he had received a lot of hate online for the photo and subsequent consequences. Picture: Ed Sloane/Getty Images

Durbidge posted the photo on social media with two love hearts and the comment: “These three Straddie boys doing their stuff at the Olympics.”

The decision came hours before Ewing’s quarterfinal loss against fellow Australian Jack Robinson.

While the ISA was quick to try and avoid any perception of bias towards any athletes, the way waves are scored leaves very little room to help surfers.

Five judges sit on the panel of each heat and submit scores from zero up to 10 for each wave the surfer rides.

The best and worst scores submitted by judges is cut while the average of the remaining three is used to give the wave its final score.

It means if any judged gave a particularly high score that was considered outside the norm it would have no affect on the final points awarded.