February 18th, 2005... Professional Surfer, Shea Lopez (Ponce Inlet, Florida USA) is now fully recovered and will be returning to the 2005 WCT (World Championship Tour) after recuperating from an injury sustained during the 2003 Pipe Masters Quarter Finals. Shea is scheduled to compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast Australia, March 1st-13th, 2005; the first event of the 2005 ASP WCT - Foster's Men's World Tour. Shea's highly anticipated return to professional competition at The Quiksilver Pro will mark the first pro surfing event that Shea has entered since sustaining his injury in Hawaii at the Banzai Pipeline Masters in December of 2003. Shea spent the balance of 2004 in earnest - getting in top shape by rehabbing and training; "I'm really looking forward to coming back on tour in March. I'm nearly 100% now and feel like I can compete with the best of them."  - Shea Lopez (excerpt quote from Surfer Magazine video clip below).

View the exclusive Surfer Magazine video interview (below) Courtesy of Surfer Magazine and Kevin Welsh (SurfNRG.com). Includes exclusive footage of Shea's backside floater and high impact landing during the 2003 Pipe Masters Quarter Finals.