Stab Magazine | Owen Wright withdraws from first half of WSL season

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

129 Views

Owen Wright withdraws from first half of WSL season

Mr Wright has officially withdrawn from the opening half of the 2016 season due to his head injury that took place prior to the Pipe Masters. Before the event he was a standout in the freesurfs. Anyone who watched him from the safety of the sand would tell you he was a favourite to win. Owen went home after a serious flogging, took a nap and woke up feeling disoriented. An ambulance picked him up from the Rip Curl house on December 10th and he was forced to withdraw from the event and the title race. Owen remained under medical care for a few weeks in Hawaii before returning to Oz for ongoing observation. “It’s disappointing to have to withdraw from the opening events of the year, but the important thing is to ensure that I am 100% healthy for when I return to that level of competition,” Owen told the WSL. “I’ve been working regularly with top specialists in the country and they’ve given me a lengthy rehabilitation time before I’m able to feel normal again and a period of time after that before they’re confident I can perform at the elite level without additional risk. Head injuries are tricky in terms of mapping out recovery time and it’s possible that I may not be able to pull the jersey on all year. I want to thank my family, friends, fans, sponsors and the WSL for their ongoing support.” This is reminiscent of his back injury back in 2013 that took him out for the season. Being the true animal that he is he bounced back into title contention after long recovery road. We hope to see his head get sorted and have him back in the fashion we know and love. Remember his two perfect heats at Cloudbreak last year? The man’s an axe in hollow juice, one of the tour’s most exciting competitors. “Very sad to see someone of Owen’s caliber suffer such serious injury,” WSL Commissioner, Kieren Perrow said. “The important thing is that he’s on the road to recovery and taking the appropriate time to ensure that he is 100% before returning to competition. While it’s unfortunate news for the sport and its fans, we’re fully supportive of Owen taking the time he needs and wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

news // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mr Wright has officially withdrawn from the opening half of the 2016 season due to his head injury that took place prior to the Pipe Masters. Before the event he was a standout in the freesurfs. Anyone who watched him from the safety of the sand would tell you he was a favourite to win. Owen went home after a serious flogging, took a nap and woke up feeling disoriented. An ambulance picked him up from the Rip Curl house on December 10th and he was forced to withdraw from the event and the title race. Owen remained under medical care for a few weeks in Hawaii before returning to Oz for ongoing observation.

“It’s disappointing to have to withdraw from the opening events of the year, but the important thing is to ensure that I am 100% healthy for when I return to that level of competition,” Owen told the WSL. “I’ve been working regularly with top specialists in the country and they’ve given me a lengthy rehabilitation time before I’m able to feel normal again and a period of time after that before they’re confident I can perform at the elite level without additional risk. Head injuries are tricky in terms of mapping out recovery time and it’s possible that I may not be able to pull the jersey on all year. I want to thank my family, friends, fans, sponsors and the WSL for their ongoing support.”

This is reminiscent of his back injury back in 2013 that took him out for the season. Being the true animal that he is he bounced back into title contention after long recovery road. We hope to see his head get sorted and have him back in the fashion we know and love. Remember his two perfect heats at Cloudbreak last year? The man’s an axe in hollow juice, one of the tour’s most exciting competitors.

“Very sad to see someone of Owen’s caliber suffer such serious injury,” WSL Commissioner, Kieren Perrow said. “The important thing is that he’s on the road to recovery and taking the appropriate time to ensure that he is 100% before returning to competition. While it’s unfortunate news for the sport and its fans, we’re fully supportive of Owen taking the time he needs and wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025
Advertisement