This week Australian surfer Owen Wright withdrew from the remainder of 2016 WSL World Tour to put all his energy into the continued rehabilitation of his head injury that he suffered at Pipeline in December 2015.

The goofy footer was out at Pipeline warming up for the 2015 Billabong Pipe Masters and got caught inside by a clean-up set where he hit the reef. He made it back to shore where he was seen dazed and confused on the sand before making his way back to his accommodation.

Later, he was complaining of headaches, where he was then rushed to a nearby hospital with tests revealing he had suffered a serious brain trauma. He took to social media where he said: "It's always difficult being away from the water for me, it’s also a major challenge to give myself time to heal because I want to be back in the singlet so badly.

“That said, I understand that I have more rehabilitation ahead of me until that's possible. I'm feeling better every day and I want to thank everyone for the support so far. I miss my friends and family on tour and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again soon. Thanks again for the support."

We wish him the best of luck in his recovery and will enjoy seeing him again next year, especially on the European leg of the WSL where he always seems to thrive. He regularly has some down time prior to the Moche WSL event and uses his time wisely to get to grips with the Peniche surf breaks.

Watch the videos below to see why in his own words why he enjoys coming to Portugal, and see him surfing some of the great waves that Peniche has.






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