“They Are So Deserving!”: Despite Scoring Controversy, Australian Surfing Star Breaks Silence Days After Corona Open J-Bay Finals Defeat

This WSL season has been a roller coaster for Australian surfer Ethan Ewing. The surfing world has seen both his early elimination and his subsequent podium finishes. His most recent podium appearance was at the South African tournament Corona Open J-Bay, albeit the final score of this match caused some disagreement. Similar to the outcry that followed the Surf Ranch Pro, this one was also sparked by a continuing disagreement.

After a lengthy hiatus from social media after his crushing loss against Filipe Toledo, Ewing has finally shared a message with his devoted following. The surfer’s open letter to his followers quickly went viral when he posted it on his social media account.

The surfing star’s warm words

Fans and surfers alike rode an emotional roller coaster at the Corona Open J-Bay. Ethan Ewing and Filipe Toledo’s final action was thrilling to see. But Ewing’s dreams were dashed when the Brazilian superstar scored a 9.93 on the fifth wave, effectively ending the Australian’s chances. After Toledo’s resounding win in front of the South African audience, the surfing community called for fair treatment of the Australian surfer involved in a scoring dispute. However, the winner of the Corona Open J-Bay was obvious since the WSL does not alter points after an event. Despite the shocking loss, Ewing celebrated his second-place finish and ranking improvement over Griffin Colapinto.

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The surfer said on Instagram that he felt “incredibly lucky” to ride the “amazing wave” in Jeffreys Bay. Just making it into the Rip Curl Finals in 2023 and the 2024 Olympics in Paris is “unbelievable” for Ewing right now. He also sent his best wishes to the podium finishers of the South African WSL tournament, Filipe Toledo, Lakey Peterson, and Molly Picklum, claiming that “they are so deserving!” The Australian superstar may have lost, but he is pleased with the end result.

With 47,815 points, just ahead of American surfer Griffin Colapinto, the Australian surfer is in second place in the Championship Tour despite facing several challenges along the way.

What happened at the finals of Corona Open J-Bay?

Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and Brazilian surfer Filipe Toledo battled it out in a tense final at the Corona Open J-Bay. Despite his slight injury, Toledo was still a dominant force in the competition, and he had every intention of beating the Australian surfer. On the first wave, the Brazilian surfer scored an 8.83, whereas Ewing only managed a 5.67.

Both surfers struggled to catch anything for the following several waves due to the difficulty of the South African swells. On the fifth wave, though, yellow jersey holder Filipe Toledo shocked the surfing world with a 9.93, impressing everyone there. The Australian surfer recorded a 6.93 on the next wave but ultimately lost to the Brazilian phenom. The contest culminated with an impressive surf duel between Toledo and Ewing, and the spectators went wild.

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