Australian Ben Lowe, a surfing judge at the Games, has been removed from his role following a controversial photo that surfaced on social media. The photo depicted Lowe alongside Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and team coach Bede Durbidge in Teahupo’o on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, where the competition is being held. The image, reportedly shared on Durbidge’s social media Stories, was deemed a violation of the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) impartiality policy.
The ISA stated, 'It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team.' Consequently, the ISA Executive Committee decided to eliminate Lowe from the judging panel for the remainder of the competition to uphold the integrity and fairness of the ongoing event.
