Just in: Bede Durbidge To Miss Snapper!

That busted pelvis ain't fixed yet… 

If a head injury is bad, a busted pelvis ain’t a helluva lot better.

And, despite very good nursing, rehabilitation is yet to bring Bede Durbidge’s busted pelvis back to its full physical development. A wipeout at the Billabong Pipeline Masters in December put Bede in a wheelchair for a month, and with a 17cm rod, a metal plate, and four screws in his pelvis.

Bede told Fox Sports: “The surgeon told me it’s the kind of injury he normally sees in a really bad car crash or someone falling off a building, and that I was pretty lucky to be alive. That’s when it hit home.’’

And, so, the thirty-three year old, will miss the Quicksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks.

Let’s examine the WSL press release. (Cut, paste etc.)

“A 12-year veteran of the elite WSL Championship Tour, Durbidge’s tenure has been characterized by top-of-class power surfing and steely competitive savvy, netting him elite wins in Brazil, Trestles and at Pipeline. The Queensland-based surfer was experiencing another successful season in 2015, with Runner-Up finishes in Rio de Janeiro and Hossegor, before suffering a horrific injury at the final event of the season in Hawaii. The reef impact left Durbidge with a shattered pelvis and a considerable rehabilitation ahead of him.

“‘Heading into my 12th season on the World Tour, I’m unfortunately pulling out of the Quiksilver Pro due to the injury I suffered at Pipeline,’ Durbidge said. ‘I’ve always prided myself with looking after my physical health, and in the 11 years on tour, I’ve been fortunate enough to never miss an event due to injury until now.'”

“While Durbidge won’t be competing at the opening event of the season, he will be on-site to lend his insights to the world as part of the WSL commentary team.

‘Even though I won’t be competing at the Quiksilver Pro, I’ll be down at the event commentating and supporting my mates,’ Durbidge continued. ‘I’m 10 weeks into my injury and the last three weeks have been filled with a lot of pool therapy, which I’m making great progress at in my rehabilitation. I’ve been overwhelmed with all the support. I can’t thank everyone enough for their well wishes and look forward to putting a jersey back on in the near future.'”

“’Bede (Durbidge) is one of the most rock solid surfers of the last decade and it was horrific watching what he went through at Pipeline last winter,’ Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner, said. ‘We’re thankful that he is okay and his rehabilitation is moving forward. While we look forward to him returning to the water very soon, we’re very excited to have him join the WSL commentary team as an analyst at the opening event of the season.’

Bede’s replacement for the Quiksilver Pro is Stuart Kennedy who, according to the WSL, will turn 47 later this year.