Australian dedicates victory at famous break to his mum Helen who rang the bell in 1983
When Ethan Ewing lifted the iconic Rip Curl Pro trophy at Bells Beach on Tuesday, it was a moment imbued with significance. This was no ordinary World Surf League victory.
“It’s been my biggest goal in my career to win this,” said an emotional Ewing afterwards. “All my heroes have won this – Joel [Parkinson], Mick [Fanning], Kelly [Slater], the girls – Steph [Gilmore], Carissa [Moore], and then my mum back in ‘83. It is an honour to compete here. To put my name up there with her – it’s really special.”Ewing, 24, had a break-out season last year, winning the Corona Open at J-Bay in South Africa and finishing fourth overall.
The Ewings are now the first mother-son duo to secure victory at the same WSL event. Helen was a trailblazer in women’s surfing, but had her career cut short. Following her break-out debut professional season, including the Bells win and victory at the Hang Ten Pro in California, she left the sport due to the lack of financial support for female surfing.
Helen’s legacy was on full display on Tuesday. “It’s such a special thing,” said Ethan. “I’ve been thinking about her since I’ve been on tour. I wanted to do her proud.” But the legacy went beyond her Bells-winning son, now a real world champion contender. Throughout her career as a surfer and administrator, Helen was a vocal advocate for greater equality in the sport.
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