Merewether surfer Jackson Baker takes a 'big picture' approach to comeback

Baker, recovering from a similar Lisfranc foot issue as Knights captain Kalyn Ponga, remains committed to a world tour return but opted to withdraw from the current Challenger Series event on the Gold Coast.

"Even when I sent WSL [World Surf League] the message and it went through, I'd been holding on for dear life," Baker, 27, told the Newcastle Herald.

"It's more just being mature and looking at the big picture. I've still got a lot of years left in my career and if do this wrong than that cuts time out.

"As much as it seems hard, it's the right decision. It's going to eat away at me, but I'd rather do this right and come back right."

Whether or not Baker lands at the Sydney Surf Pro, stop number two of the second-tier Challenger Series which gets underway next week (May 9-16), has yet to be officially disclosed.

However, only a surfer's best four scores are counted from the six-part series, meaning Baker will have little margin for error once he does eventually hit the water again this year.

Rounding out the 2024 program are: South Africa's Ballito Pro (July 1-8), the US Open at California's Huntington Beach (August 5-11), Portugal's Ericeira Pro (September 29-October 6) and Saquarema Pro in Brazil (October 12-20).

The men's top 10 earn a ticket up into the WSL championship tour for 2025.

"It simplifies it down, just go in all guns blazing," Baker, who spent one-and-a-half seasons in the main draw (2022-2023) and narrowly missed re-qualifying straight away, said.

"I might not really have have a fallback [score] so I've just got to do well at the events I do. Qualification is definitely still the goal and is still in sight, it's just going to be a tougher job.

"I've been out of the water for two-and-a-half months now, so I've had a lot of time to think about it.

"I keep telling myself how good a feeling it will be when I come back and qualify, that really excites me and keeps me going."

Baker was sidelined for hometown event Surfest this year, "impact" causing the damage when landing regularly on his board in the water at Dixon Park on February 9.

"In a weird way it's really fired me up," he said.

"I've done a lot of extra training, stuff on the exercise bike, even started a bit of a journal. Been trying everything I possibly can.

"I want to come back better than I was last year, fitter and stronger. I'd already felt that through January so that's the challenge now."

Meanwhile, local riders Eden Hasson (under-18) and Ocean Lancaster (under-16) will represent Australia at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, which open in El Salvador on Friday.