Ethan Ewing - Australia’s ‘Ice Man’ following in his mother’s footsteps

Australia’s Ethan Ewing rose to fame in his teens after winning the World Surfing League (WSL) junior world championships and has since become one of the most-talked-about surfers in the world.

With two WSL titles to his credit so far, Ewing has already made his mark at the international level. He finished in the top five in the WSL World Tour for the first time in 2022 and followed it up with a second-place finish in 2023, sealing his berth for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Ethan Ewing: From a surfing family

Ethan Ewing was born on September 2, 1998, in North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. His mother Helen Ewing was a pioneer in the women’s surfing circuit and won the Bells Beach Pro in 1983, aged 18.

A lack of financial support, however, interrupted Helen’s surfing career and she was forced to foray into coaching and administration.

Helen, however, made a remarkable comeback a decade later and won plenty of titles but tragedy struck the Ewing household when she passed away due to breast cancer in 2005. Ethan Ewing was only six years old when he saw over 100 surfers, including former world champions, give his mother a paddle-out farewell.

Besides his mother’s story, Ewing also drew great inspiration from former world champions Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning in his formative years. He started in the WSL in 2012 and competed in the Junior World Championships.

He went on to become a junior world champion in 2016 and qualified for the WSL Championship Tour, aged 18.

Despite beginning strongly at the junior level, Ewing’s initial years on the Championship tour were full of challenges. He finished last in his first six events and didn’t qualify for the tour in the following year.

‘Ice Man’ Ethan Ewing

For three years, Ethan Ewing stayed away from the top-tier event. It took him a while to find his stride but once he did, there was no stopping him.

Ethan Ewing, who earned the nickname ‘Ice Man’ for his unwavering attention and ability to secure wins under pressure, won his first senior WSL title in South Africa in 2022. He also won the J-Bay Open and finished fourth in the world tour table that year.

Ewing's life came full circle when he finally won at Bells Beach, 40 years after his mother surfed to glory at the same venue. The 25-year-old had his mother’s trophy by his bedside growing up and in December 2023, the Ewings became the only mother-son duo to win the famed trophy.

“I’ve looked at that [trophy], dreamt of it, seen her name on the stairs [on the walk to Bells Beach]. And now having my name there – it’s so special,” Ewing told The Guardian.

Ewing finished second in the 2023 WSL men’s tour and ensured his spot in the Australian Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“It has been a huge goal of mine since surfing got introduced to the Olympics, it’s an absolute honour to represent Australia,” Ewing said after his selection.

“It’s really exciting, I feel more pressure because I’m not just surfing for myself, it’s for my teammates, and the people that have represented Australia before me but I love it, I’m super proud,” he added.

Ethan’s run at the Paris 2024 Olympics ended in the quarter-finals.

Ethan Ewing’s achievements and best results

• Won the WSL Junior World Championship in 2016
• Qualified for the WSL Championship Tour in 2017, aged 18
• Won his first elite title in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa, in 2022.
• Finished fourth in the WSL Championship Tour 2022
• Won the Bells Beach Pro title in 2023 to replicate his mother Helen’s win after 40 years
• Finished second in the WSL Championship Tour 2023
• Competed at Paris 2024 Olympics