JACKSON Baker's campaign to re-join the world tour will start later than anticipated, with a foot injury seeing the Merewether surfer withdraw from the Challenger Series opener.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The 27-year-old, who also missed hometown Surfest last month, hopes to return as soon as possible but won't feature in the first event, scheduled to get underway on the Gold Coast this weekend.
"Unfortunately I've had to withdraw from the Challenger Series event at Snapper," Baker posted on social media on Tuesday.
"My foot is just not quite there yet and I want to make sure I come back 100 percent. Of course it's upsetting, but it's all part of the process and I'll be back better and stronger."
Whether or not Baker recovers in time for next month's Sydney Surf Pro at North Narrabeen (May 9-16) remains to be seen.
South Africa's Ballito (July 1-8), California's Huntington Beach (August 3-11), Portugal's Ericeira (September 29-October 6) and Brazil's Saquarema (October 12-20) round out the six-stop Challenger Series.
The top-10 ranked males from the second-tier competition book tickets to the championship tour in 2025, with an overall points tally calculated from a surfer's best-four results.
Earlier in 2023 he succumbed to the CT's mid-season cut after a maiden 18-month stretch at the elite level.
Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic arrives at Snapper Rocks fresh from a wildcard run to the quarter-finals at Bells.
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
