Owen Wright to retire from professional surfing

Owen Wright will retire from professional surfing after the upcoming events at Bells Beach.
(All photos: Joli Photos )

 SYDNEY, March 22 - Surfer Owen Wright, who fought his way back from a traumatic brain injury to win an Olympic bronze medal for Australia, announced his retirement from professional competition on Wednesday, saying he no longer wanted to risk his health.

"Over the years I've had a number of head injuries and concussions and it's got to the point where I need to prioritise my long term health," Wright said on social media.

"I'm going to retire from the highest level of competition, and basically from taking heavy water risks."

Wright was in contention for a world title in 2015 but was injured in a wipeout during a warm-up surf at Hawaii's notorious Pipeline, forcing him out of the event and out of the water for almost a year.

In an incredible turnaround, Wright won his comeback professional event on Australia's Gold Coast in 2017, one of four world championship titles for the tall and powerful goofy-footer.

Wright excelled in the world's most powerful and dangerous waves, scoring two perfect 20/20 heat totals in one event in giant tubes at Fiji's Cloudbreak in 2015 and winning another championship tour event at Tahiti's Teahupo'o in 2019.

While still struggling with his brain injury, Wright crowned his comeback with a bronze at surfing's Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, but was knocked off the elite championship tour in 2022.

"The next chapter for me, I will still be surfing, I will still be surfing a lot...I just don't have to take the risks I used to," the 33-year-old said, adding he hoped to bring awareness to head injuries in sport.

Wright, whose sister Tyler is a twice world women's surf champion, will sign off from pro competition as a wildcard in next month's Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Australia.

Owen Wright & Jack Freestone Get Barrelled in the Wavegarden Cove

A few months ago Aussie pro surfers Owen Wright and Jack Freestone visited the Wavegarden Cove Demo Centre in Spain and racked up plenty of barrels and turns in a charged but fun session. Kita Alexander, Owen's partner, is a stylish longboarder and was happy to ride a few mellow ones and spent some quality time in the water with her man. Good news on the horizon for people dreaming of surfing the "Cove". In 2019 Urbnsurf is bringing a Wavegarden 5 times larger than the demo model to Melbourne, Australia.

La Belle Hossegor

La Belle Hossegor from Darkline productions

La Graviere (Hossegor) Warm Ups
John John Florence
Kolohe Andino
Owen Wright
Jordy Smith
Gabriel Medina
Joel Parkinson
Ross Williams
Edited: Darkline Productions (Oscar Valencia)
Music: Herve Vilard - Capri C´est Fini

Australian Story: ‘All For The Family’ With Tyler Wright

Reigning surfing world champion Tyler Wright has revealed she nearly quit the championship tour after her brother Owen Wright was seriously injured during a warm-up surf at Pipeline in Hawaii. At 21, Tyler became her brother’s primary carer. She felt at a crossroads: should she quit the tour to be by her brother’s side, or leave him to chase her dream of the world title?

Read more here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-27...

Owen Wright

Owen Wright. Photo: Corey Wilson

Owen Wright cover shot

Owen Wright Sequence by Corey Wilson

Owen Wright Wins 2015 Fiji Pro

Owen Wright Wins 2015 Fiji Pro with Perfect Score

Owen Wright (AUS) has won the Fiji Pro in historic fashion today, claiming his second Perfect 20 of the event in the Final bout against compatriot Julian Wilson (AUS) held in pumping eight-to-ten foot (2.5 - 3 metre) barrels.

Stop No. 5 of 11 on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour (CT), the Fiji Pro, has been treated to an abundance of swell and incredible performances by the world’s best surfers, culminating today with Wright’s unparalleled mastery of Cloudbreak.


“I can’t believe it, to finish with a couple of 10’s is a dream come true,” said Wright. “I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and watching the top guys closely and it’s definitely paid off. Gabriel Medina has been a huge inspiration for me, especially watching him at this event last year and what he’s done.”


Wright was the form surfer of the event after a series of incredible performances and huge scores, including a flawless Round 5 heat where he posted his first perfect heat total (only the then-seventh in sport’s history). The Australian made history today by delivering another Perfect 20 in the Final, the sport’s eighth ever perfect heat total, as the first surfer to achieve this incredible feat twice in one event.


“I’ve done two trips to Tahiti already this year and I think that’s where some of the barrel riding has come from,” continued Wright. “I have to pay a big tribute to my boards - I’ve never felt better doing turns out there and I love the turns as much as I love the barrels.”


Wright’s win at the Fiji Pro is his second CT victory, after a previous win at the Quiksilver Pro New York in 2011. Wright came into to the event ranked sixth in the world and the result sees him jump up to third on the Jeep Leaderboard. A combination of deep barrel rides and carving rail-work helped the goofyfooter reach the Final after defeating Jeremy Flores (FRA) in the Semifinals and Joel Parkinson (AUS) in the Quarters earlier today.


“Yesterday was a dream come true and today is even better,” Wright said. “To finish with two 10’s is really special. I was watching the ocean before the Final and I knew it would turn on. I knew I just had to be in that rhythm and the waves came and I took them. I’m stoked to be back up on the podium and wouldn’t be here without all the support back home.”


Wright dominated the Final from start to finish, opening early with a 9.60 and quickly putting Wilson in a combination. With less than five minutes remaining Wright delivered an epic ride, opening with a huge turn and big barrel, and was rewarded with a Perfect 10. Another long, critical tube ride moments afterwards earned him another Perfect 10, his fourth of the competition and his second Perfect heat total, to seal his victory


 Here’s Owen Wright’s 2nd perfect 10 from the final:

Jay Davies took out World Champion Gabriel Medina.

TWO surfers who had never won a major heat in their lives took down two of the biggest names in surfing as a shark, the first perfect 10 and stunning barrels made an appearance at the Margaret River Pro on Thursday. 

After a day of carnage, day two of the world surf league event produced both shock losses and exceptional surf with Brazilian world champion Gabriel Medina and compatriot and world No. 1 Filipo Toledo both sent to the sidelines by relative unknowns.

Jay Davies took out World Champion Gabriel Medina.


The 25th, inflicted by local Jay Davies, is Medina’s worst result in 14 events and could be a death blow to his bid to defend the world crown he won last year.

The heat will also be one he remembers with a shark sliding past midway through the bout.

“We had shark cruise through the line-up which was a little sketchy, but it was only a baby one eating some fish,“ said local Davies.

“Gabriel saw it first and nearly jumped on my back.’’

Last year Kelly Slater set the social media world alight when he shared a video of a dark shadow passing over him as he surfed with many swearing it was a close encounter with a shark.

He later came clean, revealing it was in fact a fellow surfer.

Photo: WSL / Cestari


Medina was followed to the beach by inform surfer Filipe Toledo who had shared the world No. 1 ranking with Mick Fanning heading into the event.

Toledo was beaten by New Zealand tour rookie Ricardo Christie.

As the big names fell, Australian surfers shone with Owen Wright collecting the first perfect 10 of the event at The Box in his 18.50 to 10.90 defeat of Hawaiian Dusty Payne.

“The set came so I just went. After my10 I remember going, ‘give me more’. I just love it and I love waves like this,’’ he said.

One of the most popular victories of the day was Josh Kerr’s.

The Australia was the star of a massive wipe-out on day one but regrouped to beat American CJ Hobgood.