Josh Moniz Gets Two Wildcards To Start 2022 CS

Eight months after breaking his back in punchy Portuguese waters, Josh Moniz is donning the jersey once more. 

Stab has recently learned that the eldest Moniz sibling has been awarded two event wildcards into the first two Challenger Series contests of 2022, the Gold Coast Pro (Snapper or D-Bah) and the Sydney Surf Pro. (Manly) 

If you’re not up to speed, Josh survived a worst-case scenario at pumping Supertobos, breaking his back in during an alarmingly familiar move, straightening out to avoid a lip to the dome, only to get slammed in between an unstoppable force in the wave and an immovable object in the sand. It was the quick thinking of Mason Ho and Reo Inaba that kept Josh from drowning. 

Since the traumatic incident and subsequent surgery, Josh has worked diligently on his recovery. Not to be cliché, but events like this tend to alter one’s perspective, and Josh is no exception. He told us six months post-surgery that he has a newfound appreciation for his life and is grateful for this second chance.  It appears he’s channeled his already formidable ability and revamped attitude to take another swing and join his younger bro in the big leagues. 

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The Gold Coast event window runs from May 7-15. The Sydney contest is scheduled for May 17-24. View the rest of the eight-stop schedule here.

No CS event is a cakewalk, even when operating at 100 percent. He’s coming back from a debilitating injury to face more than a handful of CS warriors and 39 CT surfers, some of whom may be looking to take out their frustration on a salty punching bag after not making the mid-year cut. If the swell aligns at Snapper, what better place to let emotions fly than one of the most rippable right points on earth? 

Snapper is no stranger to historical miraculous returns to form. Remember Owen Wright winning 2017 after taking the last year off due to severe brain trauma from Pipeline? We’re not saying it’s easy or even likely, but you have to appreciate that Josh is healthy and back in the mix.