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 (WSL) victory.
As Ewing rang the bell – famously, “you’ve got to win it to ring it” – he was following in the footsteps of his late mother, Helen Ewing (née Lambert). A prodigal talent in women’s surfing, Helen won the Rip Curl Pro in 1983 aged just 18. Four decades later, it was her son’s turn to win the longest running event in competitive surfing.
