Owen Wright (surfer)

Owen Wright (born 16 January 1990) is an Australian professional surfer on the World Surf League (formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals) Men's Championship Tour.[2][3] His sister, Tyler Wright, is also a competitor on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour.

Owen Wright
Personal information
Born (1990-01-16) 16 January 1990
Culburra Beach, New South Wales[1]
ResidenceLennox Head, New South Wales
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Weight86 kg (190 lb; 13.5 st)[1]
Surfing career
Career earnings$780,550
SponsorsRip Curl, Dragon Optics, FCS, Gorilla Grip, JS industries
Major achievementsFirst surfer to post two perfect scores in one event
Surfing specifications
StanceGoofy

On 16 June 2015 Wright became the first surfer to post two perfect scores in a single event, during Round 5 and the final of the Fiji Pro.[4]

Has achieved a perfect heat (a heat with two perfect 10.00 scores).

Personal life

Wright was born on 16 January 1990[5] and grew up at Culburra Beach on the south coast of New South Wales.[6] He is one of five siblings who all surf.[5] His sister Tyler Wright is a two-time Women's World Champion, winning the Women's Championship Tour in 2016 and 2017.[7] Their brother Mikey competes in the Men's Qualifying Series.[8]

As a junior, along with his sister Tyler and fellow south coast local World Tour competitor Sally Fitzgibbons, he competed in GromSearch, a national series development program that gives under 16 year olds competition experience against top senior surfers.[9]

Wright is married to Australian singer Kita Alexander. They have a son born in December 2016.[10]

Professional career

Wright won the Australian Title in 2007 and qualified for the Champions Tour in 2009.[5] In his 2010 debut season he ranked seventh, and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2012 he won his first Champions Tour event at Long Island, New York receiving surfing’s largest-ever prize of $300,000.[5]

During the 2015 tour, Wright won his second title at the Fiji Pro event scoring two perfect 10-point rides. This was the first time such a score had been achieved at the one event and he was only the fifth surfer to ever achieve a perfect 20. The win took him to third place in the 2015 season's standings.[5][11]

In December, in the lead up to the Pipeline Masters, the final event of the 2015 calendar, he had a wipe out at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii.[10][12] Wright suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to relearn how to talk, walk and then surf again.[10] He recorded his recovery steps on social media.[13]

After spending 2016 recovering, Wright was granted a wildcard entry to the 2017 World Surf League season.

In his comeback, Wright won the Champions Tour calendar's opening event, the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks on Australia's Gold Coast.[12] It was his third WSL title.[14]

In between WSL events, Wright is training with Surfing Australia's national squad in preparation for the debut of surfing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.[15]

Career Victories
WSL Men's Championship Tour Wins
YearEventVenueCountry
2011Quiksilver Pro New YorkLong Island, New York USA
2015Fiji ProTavarua, Viti Levu Fiji
2017Quiksilver Pro Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland Australia
2019Tahiti Pro Teahupo'oTeahupo'o, Tahiti Tahiti


References
  1. "Owen Wright". jsindustries.com. JS Industries. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  2. http://www.ripcurl.com.au/?owenwright
  3. http://www.aspworldtour.com/posts/28204/the-resurrection-of-owen-wright-part-ii
  4. http://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/124129/wrights-perfect-heat
  5. "Owen Wright Australia". World Surf League. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  6. Ward, Courtney (12 December 2017). "Culburra Beach's Owen Wright loses in round one of return to Pipeline Masters". South Coast Register. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  7. "Tyler Wright Australia". World Surf League. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  8. "Mikey Wright Australia". World Surf League. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  9. "Culburra Beach's Tyler Wright reflects on importance of GromSearch on her career". South Coast Register. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  10. Lulham, Amanda (27 March 2017). "New, improved Owen Wright loving life, surfing and being a dad". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  11. "Australia's Owen Wright wins Fiji Pro title with perfect 20". Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  12. Pancia, Anthony (19 March 2017). "Owen Wright completes fairytale comeback with World Surf League win at Snapper Rocks". ABC News. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  13. Grant, Dwayne (8 October 2016). "Surfer Owen Wright's emotional road to recovery from brain injury suffered at Hawaii's Pipeline". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  14. Serong, Jock (19 March 2017). "Surfer Owen Wright wins Snapper Rocks Tour opener in fairytale return from brain injury". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  15. "South Coast duo part of Aussie's readiness camp at Surf Ranch". South Coast Register. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
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