Owen Wright just returned, successfully, and beautifully, to professional competition.

In passable enough onshore three-foot waves, the former world-title contender Owen Wright just surfed in a jersey for the first time since October 2015.

Owen, who is twenty seven, finished with a heat total of 15.33 at the WQS 6k event at Newcastle, beating Brazil’s Luel Felipe, Nate Yeomans (a fabulous moustachioed American) and Alan Donato, also from Brazil. Sitting alone further out the back and around the point than the other surfers, Owen clocked left after left. He didn’t break the speed of sound, but he didn’t look slow. If we’re going to be critical, he actually looked a school above his WQS competitors, the straight-legged wraps and controlled straight airs a pleasure to examine.

You’ll recall Owen’s mysterious head trauma, of course. It was blamed on a hold-down at Pipe that put him out of that year’s Pipe Masters event, which also served as a title showdown (which Adriano de S0uza won). Even without turning up, Owen finished 2015 rated fifth, his best tour finish since 2011, the year he famously won the New York event and came third.

“There was a lot for me building up to it. It’s been the hardest year of my life, a rollercoaster,” he said after his heat. “I feel better and stronger and more excited than ever to have this rash shirt on and compete.”

Rumours circulated, as they do, that it wasn’t a wipeout at all that caused bleeding on the brain or whatever it was. But, whatever. Great surfer. Even better guy.

Still, the prognosis was as grey as the mystery. Would he compete again? Would he ever surf again?

Stepping away from the media, Owen threw updates on Instagram. In an early post he wrote: Sharing my journey – I went for my first surf a couple days ago. It was the funnest thing in the world. Funny thing is… i couldn’t get to my feet. So I just layed there. It was about knee high and the drop was.. well there was none but it felt like I was dropping into 10ft teahupoo.

A year later, here he is.

“There was a lot for me building up to it. It’s been the hardest year of my life, a rollercoaster,” he said after his heat. “I feel better and stronger and more excited than ever to have this rash shirt on and compete.”

Owen’s enthusiasm was real.

“Soaking this moment in and enjoying being her with my partner and my little baby… having fun with all the guys… To realise how much love is out there… it pushed me through that time. I’m stoked to realise how much love there is.”