Ethan Ewing has shown no fear on his return to the same waves that broke his back last year, qualifying for the third round of Olympic surfing.
The Queenslander fractured two vertebrae in 2023 at the feared Teahupo’o break in Tahiti, which as part of French Polynesia is hosting surfing for the Paris Games.
He had no such problems on Saturday (early Sunday AEST), topping a low-scoring heat to reach the last 16.
Joining him in round three is two-time world champion Tyler Wright, who survived mighty surf to win her heat.
Fellow Aussies Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum weren’t as lucky and must wax down for round two on Monday after losing their first-round battles.
The prize on offer in the first day of surfing in French Polynesia was a day off for heat winners – no small advantage given the infamous break where surfers can see the shallow reef below them as they chase gold.
Ewing caught the first wave of the Olympics after being drawn in the first heat, disappearing in a typical Teahupo’o barrel for a score of 7.33.
He needed to score late points to win the heat and did so with just 82 seconds left, his 2.57 enough to post 9.90 – the lowest winning score of the men’s field.
“I got a really good wave first up. It set up the heat,” Ewing said.
“I’m really happy to get that first win and skip into the next round.”
In his heat, Robinson employed a similar tactic, putting a 6.83 scoring ride on the board early.
Facing scoreboard pressure from Frenchman Joan Duru, the Western Australian returned to the barrel for a 6.53 which commentators called “hardcore, critical surfing off a late drop” to sit on 13.36.
But with just seconds remaining, Duru denied him a day off with a late ride of 7.67 to finish on 13.84.
The women’s field took to the Pacific Ocean water hours later, and found conditions tough going.
Wright bailed from an early run which packed plenty of punch, picking up know-how from the mighty break.
Rides of 4.17 and 3.50 – for a combined 7.67 – were enough to get her through but Picklum, who scored 8.44 in her heat, finished third of three.
The 21-year-old found herself under pressure in a stacked heat including Caitlin Simmers and Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb – three surfers in the top seven of the World Surf League (WSL), and it was leader Simmers who finished on top.
– AAP
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