Tyler Wright out of US Open of surfing but not out of hunt for maiden title

TYLER Wright has regained the World Surf League leader’s yellow jersey in another step towards a maiden world title.

Tyler Wright surfing during The Vans US Open of Surfing.

TYLER Wright has regained the World Surf League leader’s yellow jersey in another step towards a maiden world title.

Lennox Head product Wright was knocked out in the semi-finals of the US Open this morning (Australian time), falling to Hawaiian finalist Malia Manuel.

Tyler Wright surfing during the 2016 Vans US Open of Surfing.

But the result was enough for Wright to leapfrog American Courtney Conlogue back into first place on the standings after stop six on the 10-event tour.

Despite heading to Huntington Beach trailing Conlogue, Wright was actually better placed than her rival given her three title wins this season.

The 22-year-old heads into next month’s Swatch Women’s Pro in California well placed to build on her lead and push towards a first world crown.

The same cannot be said for Tweed Coaster Stephanie Gilmore, who is all but out of the title race after failing to make it past the quarter-final stage for the fifth time this season.

Tyler Wright surfing during the 2016 Vans US Open of Surfing.

The six-time world champion has been remarkably consistent, making the quarter-finals in five of the six stops on tour so far but has been unable to push past the final eight and claim the points needed to be a world title threat.

Gilmore would need to win all four events remaining on tour to threaten Wright and Conlogue for this year’s title.

Hawaiian Tatiana Weston-Webb won the final to jump to fourth on the rankings.

Meanwhile, teen prodigy Ethan Ewing is on the cusp of qualifying for the WSL championship tour (CT) next season after finishing runner-up at the men’s US Open.

While the women’s Open is a CT event, the men’s carnival is a qualifying series (QS) event, although it attracts many of the best surfers in the world.

Ewing, who will represent Australia at the junior world titles in January, beat defending world champion Adrian de Souza in the semi-finals this morning to advance to the decider where he was beaten by another top Brazilian CT surfer, Felipe Toledo.

The 17-year-old now sits in second place in the QS and could face a difficult decision about whether to take his place in the top 34 next season if he qualifies.

The youngster has been identified by three-time world champion Mick Fanning as “unbelievable’’, with gun Gold Coast shaper Darren Handley likening his style to former world champ Andy Irons.