A broken ankle will set Dane Henry back in his quest to qualify for the 2027 Championship Tour. Photo: Pierre Tostee//WSL
Dane Henry, one of the brightest young stars emerging in Australian surfing, may have to wait another year to qualify for the Championship Tour after fracturing his ankle during a surf in California. The injury will keep Henry out of next week’s US Open and puts his participation in the next two events of the Challenger Series in jeopardy.
Henry announced the injury on social media, saying he broke his ankle in three places while coming in during his session at Trestles.
“Bit of a shock to the system,” Henry said. “Not sure how long I’ll be out for but unfortunately gonna miss the US Open. Keen to accept the process and charge home for some (recovery) and come back stronger than ever.”
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Henry is currently ranked ninth on the Challenger Series after the first event in Ballito. The top 10 qualify for the CT, but two of the surfers ahead of Henry, Jake Marshall and Cole Houshmand, are also on the CT. If they requalify, it could open more qualification slots on the Challenger.
If Henry has a prolonged absence, his dreams of qualifying for the 2027 CT are fraught. After the US Open, there are back-to-back events in Brazil and Portugal in September and October — possibly to soon for Henry to recover. He should be healed for the season final in Newcastle, Australia, but it may be too late to climb the rankings.
Australia hasn’t had a world champion on the men’s side since Mick Fanning won his last title in 2013. For many, Henry, 19, was the next young talent out of Australia with world title potential. He’s won the WSL world juniors, the ISA juniors, and the ISA World Surfing Games. His accolades earned him a wildcard into the Bells CT event in April.
