UPDATE: He might have been in pain but Julian Wilson was having barrels of fun as he showed the surfing world he means serious business in 2018 and his family how much he loves them.
As triple world champion Mick Fanning prepares to bow out of the sport, new dad Wilson shot his hand in the air as the man most likely to be Australia’s next surf star with his 17.43 to 15.10 win over mate Ace Buchan in the Quiksilver Pro world tour opener.
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Wilson racked up the second biggest wave score of the season with a 9.93 barrel in the decider at Kirra despite sporting a grade three tear in his shoulder making paddling both difficult and painful.
“Honestly the birth of my first child gave me all the strength to just suck it up and come out down here,” said Wilson, whose wife Ashley gave birth to their daughter Olivia earlier this month.
“I got a lot of strength from her mum as well that’s for sure.
“It’s definitely nice to make my family proud.”
The Quiksilver Pro was crucial to Wilson starting his bid for a maiden world crown on the right footing, important enough for him to grit his teeth and get on with things.
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It was also the way he knew best to honour his mum Nola and her battle with breast cancer with the pink board shorts he wore at stages during the event now being auctioned for charity.
“She is so courageous. She is a huge inspiration. She is very strong. Extremely positive and I have a very close relationship with mum,” Wilson said.
Wilson also revealed his arm was so bad during the event he contemplated quitting.
“It just felt like this lifeless limb. It was really upsetting,” said Wilson, who received constant attention on the injury during the tournament.
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In what could be a major changing of the guard, world champions Fanning, Joel Parkinson, John John Florence and Gabriel Medina all failed to make it past round three at the event.
Instead Wilson and Central Coast surfer Ace Buchan will leave the Gold Coast with the world No.1 and world No. 2 rankings.
Brothers Stan and Bart were on hand to chair Wilson up the beach after he won his first Quiksilver Pro after 10 years of trying.
“This is so exciting. I have never worn the yellow jersey before,” Wilson said.
“I’ve never been here before. I hope it gives me a lot of confidence.
“To have won this, with my shoulder at 80 per cent, anything is possible now.”
AUSSIE ACE INTO FINAL
NSW Central Coast surfer Ace Buchan has defeated a dangerous Brazilian rookie to sneak his way into the final of the Quiksilver Pro and keep alive Australia’s hope of a home town win.
Buchan won a closely-fought first semi-final of the day 10 to 9.17, beating Brazilian young gun Tomas Hermes in pumping surf at Kirra beach.
Buchan had earlier ended fellow Australian Owen Wright hopes of defending his crown at the annual Australian world tour event.
It will be Buchan’s first appearance in a final at the Quiksilver Pro.
WRIGHT’S SNAPPER ROCKS DEFENCE OVER
A YEAR ago he made a fairytale return to world surfing with his victory at the Quiksilver Pro but 12 months on Owen Wright’s luck has expired.
A broken board in the quarter-final against Australian Ace Buchan has ended Wright’s bid to defend the world tour event title.
Wright had been one of the form surfers at the event before the mishap in the quarter-final at Kirra on the Gold Coast.
Wright now joins his brother Mikey as a spectator at the event.
Buchan will now face Brazilian Tomas Hermes in the semi-final.
“It is just so exiting to be here (at Kirra). You can feel how stoked everyone is,” Buchan said.
“As we grow as a sport it is important to stay committed to surfing the best waves.
“I feel like I have more to give. There are some incredible waves out there today.
“I’m stoked to get the ball rolling and to make a winning start.”
Mikey Wright knocked off two world champions early in the Quiksilver Pro but on Wednesday failed to advance into the quarter-finals surfed Thursday morning.
Surf organisers moved the women’s and men’s events from their home at Snapper Rocks to Kirra to make the most of
the pumping conditions and barrels.
The switch saw the event put on an extended hold this morning as they scrambled to shift the infrastructure required to finish the events at the secondary venue.
The good news for surfers is the early finish of the season opener will give them more time to rest and recuperate for the second leg – the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach over Easter.
This event doubles as Mick Fanning’s farewell to the world tour after 17 years of competition, 30 plus tournament wins and three world crowns.