Owen Wright’s Severe Head Injury Forces An Exit From The Second Half Of The WSL Season

This comes as no surprise. Mr Wright’s been struggling to recoup from the head injury he suffered prior to the Pipe Masters since last December.

There’s been comparisons made between Owen and snowboarder Kevin Pearce, who during a half pipe run in Park City, Utah, suffered a severe head injury that would in turn end his career just prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver–he was picked to give Shaun White a run for the gold. The accuracy of this comparison is yet to be determined. But, up until early June, Owen hadn’t started riding high performance boards. In March, three months after the concussion, Owen posted to his return to the water to Insta, “I went for my first surf a couple days ago,” he said. “It was the funnest thing in the world. Funny thing is… I couldn’t get to my feet.”

In June he released this statement: “Doctors assured me that I have turned a massive corner and I’m on the right track to 100 percent recovery… Ps I’m back surfing a short board, yew!” Which was good news. We’ve missed the gent’s man handling of heavy left hand reef passes this year. You’ll recall his two perfect heats and win over Julian Wilson at Fiji in 2015. One year later, the former world number three is a still a far cry from returning to the elite stage.

“It’s always difficult being away from the water for me,” Owen told the WSL. “It’s also a major challenge to give myself time to heal because I want to be back in the singlet so badly. That said, I understand that I have more rehabilitation ahead of me until that’s possible. I’m feeling better every day and I want to thank everyone for the support so far. I miss my friends and family on tour and I’m looking forward to seeing them all again soon. Thanks again for the support.”

“Owen is one of the most impressive athletes to ever grace our sport and the WSL fully supports him taking the time he needs to return to 100 percent,” said WSL Commish, Kieren Perrow. “He’s been sorely missed on tour this year, but I know that he’s in all our thoughts and we all look forward to seeing him healthy again and sharing the lineup with us.”