Australian surfer Ethan Ewing, current world runner-up, generated repercussions in the surfing scene when he publicly criticized the attitude of Brazilian athletes on the World Surfing Circuit. During his participation in the Stab magazine podcast, the competitor challenged the judging criteria adopted by the World Surf League. According to him, the judges’ front-line scores have prioritized repetitive aerial maneuvers to the detriment of traditional elements, such as variety, wave progression and refined style.
The athlete’s dissatisfaction gained strength after the end of the fourth stage of the circuit. Ethan Ewing argued that the sport is at risk with the current judging trend, stating that the insistence on flights harms edge transitions.
Direct criticism of Italo Ferreira’s performance in New Zealand
To illustrate his position, the Australian surfer used Italo Ferreira’s performance in the final of the Raglan stage, in New Zealand, as an example. On that occasion, the Brazilian won the title by defeating Australian Morgan Cibilic. During the decisive confrontation, the Potiguar executed a sequence of six aerials distributed in two waves, guaranteeing high scores from the referee panel.
“I feel like sometimes some surfers are just fulfilling a list of requirements. They’re not really reading the wave. They’re thinking something like, ‘If I do three aerials to the sand, I’ll get the score’. They’re not riding the wave as well as I think it can be ridden. They’re more forcing the maneuvers,” said Ethan Ewing.
The world runner-up added that the current judgment rewards an excessively simple surfing format that presents incomplete transitions between sections of the wave.
Questions about Gabriel Medina’s style
Famous on the circuit for his line control and strong edge hits, Ethan Ewing also directed comments at three-time world champion Gabriel Medina. The Australian drew a parallel between what he considers the aesthetic essence of the sport and the pragmatic stance adopted by the main names of the Brazilian storm in current competitions.
The competitor explained that he recognizes the abilities of his opponents, but maintains a clear preference for longer and more curved lines drawn on the wave wall. He emphasized that there is a lack of specific aesthetic components in the presentations of Brazilian athletes, reiterating that he has never seen Gabriel Medina perform the type of long curve that he himself values and with which he identifies in the sport.
Isolated praise for Yago Dora’s perfect flight
Despite severe reservations about the volume of acrobatic maneuvers, the Australian surfer made an exception to praise a recent performance by Yago Dora. The man from Paraná achieved a unanimous 10 in the event by completing a movement of high technical complexity, drawing applause even from his critical circuit colleague.
Ethan Ewing classified Yago Dora’s aerial as impressive due to the height reached and the landing point on the dry part of the wave. The Australian admitted that, although he differs from the direction the evaluations are taking, the Brazilians are raising the level of technical difficulty and executing maneuvers that are among the most daring in the history of world surfing.