Ethan Ewing: Straddie rising surf star set for Paris 2024 Olympics

Surfing Australia has named its Paris 2024 Olympic line-up, with 25-year-old Stradbroke Island legend Ethan Ewing set to compete at a surprise location nowhere near the Seine City.

Australia’s Olympic surfers Ethan Ewing, Jack Robinson, Tyler Wright and Molly Picklum. Picture: Michael Klein

Surfing Australia has just named the line-up for Australia’s surfing contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Straddie superstar Ethan Ewing is among the lucky four chosen.

Alongside seasoned pros Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum, and Jack Robinson, Ewing secured his spot on the Olympic roster after winning and placing in major events in the past year, in which he was ranked second in the world.

The four surfers clinched top-five spots in the World Surf League (WSL) rankings in 2023 and were impressive in the 2024 World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico in February.

Ewing, 25, who lives part of the year at North Stradbroke Island where he grew up, said making his Olympic debut and being chosen for the Games fulfilled a lifelong dream.

It has been a major year for Ethan Ewing who was officially chosen to represent Australia in surfing at the Paris Olympics. Picture: Contributed

“It’s been a huge goal of mine since surfing got introduced to the Olympics. It’s an absolute honour to represent Australia,” he said.

“It’s really exciting. I feel more pressure because I’m not just surfing for myself, it’s for my teammates and the people that have represented Australia before me.

“But I love it, I’m super proud.”

Part of his surfing dream was realised last year when he won the prestigious Bells Beach trophy, following in his late mother’s footsteps in April last year.

He rose to second in the Championship Tour standings in August after being runner-up following a disappointing round at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa in July.

Ewing’s late mum Helen Lambert won the iconic Bells Beach trophy in 1983 but sadly died of breast cancer aged 39, in 2005, when her son was six.

Ewing’s rankings dropped in September after he fractured vertebrae in his back while free surfing in Tahiti in September.

The inclusion of surfing in Paris 2024 adds another chapter to Australia’s Olympic surfing saga, with Teahupo’o in Tahiti as the battleground.

Ethan Ewing receives medical help on the beach after fracturing his vertebrae late last year. Picture: Beach Grit

The decision to host the surfing event in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean, signifies a historic first for the Olympics.

The venue will be the farthest event ever from a host city in Olympic history.

Surfing Australia’s High-Performance Director Kate Wilcomes and Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Anna Meares highlighted the team’s talent.

Tyler Wright, who won two World Championship titles and will continue her family’s Olympic legacy, emphasised the challenge of Teahupo’o’s massive waves.

Picklum, who triumphed in two Championship Tour (CT) events, praised her teammates’ skills, especially in barrel riding, calling the team a “must watch”.

Robinson, with seven CT victories including a recent win at the Margaret River Pro, also added weight to the team’s accolades and expressed his pride in representing Australia.

Originally published as Ethan Ewing: Straddie rising surf star set for Paris 2024 Olympics