Defending Mr Price Pro Champion Glenn Hall (AUS) has been forced to withdraw from the Mr Price Pro Ballito due to a severe spinal injury suffered in Fiji this week. © ASP
Defending Mr Price Pro Champion, Glen Hall of Australia, has withdrawn from the Mr Price Pro Ballito due to a severe spinal injury sustained surfing the Restaurants surf break off Tavarua Island during the Volcom Fiji Pro this week.
Hall, who won his inaugural ASP Prime event in Ballito last year, was due to compete at the Oakley Pro Bali followed by the Mr Price Pro Ballito but suffered a harrowing wipe-out against South African Jordy Smith during Round three of the Volcom Fiji Pro that has left him confined to his bed and out of the water for six weeks.
While Fiji is renowned for producing world-class surf, it breaks over razor sharp coral reef, making it one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world.
Competing against his nemesis, Smith, who has defeated him in three out of the three match ups on the ASP WCT this season, Hall was looking for that perfect- wave that would allow him a deep barrel ride and hopefully a perfect 10 score.
“I was looking for one of the more hollow set waves and stroked into what looked like the perfect wave. Falling off a really good wave and knowing you blew an opportunity to get the score was heartbreaking, getting sucked over the falls on the same wave was backbreaking,” said Hall who landed on a sharp coral head that drove into his spine and pinned him underwater for several minutes.
Hall was quickly rescued by the jet-ski water patrol team and airlifted back to Nadi airport on the mainland where a Care Flight Queenslad Medivac Jet was waiting to fly him back to Australia. His CT scans have revealed fractures in his vertebrae L 2, 3 and 4 that have ruled out any chance of him competing at the upcoming events.
“It’s unfortunate that I will no longer be able to defend my title at the Mr Price Pro Ballito but I’m just going to focus on healing up as soon as possible right now. Good luck to all the competitors in Ballito and I’ll be watching online.”
Hall’s withdrawl has left one spot open in this year’s field and will see former South African, now Australian resident, Thomas Woods, replace him as the first alternate.
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