Scrooge: Julian Wilson’s title stolen!

That damned shark. The swimming embodiment of bah humbug!

The end of the year is such a wonderful time for reflection and what a mountain of things we have to think back upon! Like Dane Reynolds leaving Quiksilver and starting a brand with Craig Anderson! Like Glenn Micro Hall and Gabs Medina’s mom maybe falling in love! Like ADS!

But a story undiscussed, except here, is the theft of Julian Wilson’s 2015 World Title by a toothy white in South Africa. No, not Mick Fanning but Mick’s friend the shark!

Let us examine once again. Julian had just started the year with a bang, falling just shy of Filipe Toledo at Snapper, the season opener. A shocker at Bells (who cares? It’s fat!) but roared into the quarters at Marg River and then a shocker in Rio (who cares? It’s Rio!) but then back into the final at Fiji and Jeffreys Bay. That first wave, a 6.67 was underscored. He was riding an incredible rhythm and Mick was surely backed into a wall. Or a great white’s mouth.

And like that the event was over with Mick and Julian receiving equal seconds and emotional scars.

But what if Julian had won the event? Not a big what if, mind you… he was sitting right there in first place and what sort of boost would that have been? He would have soared into Tahiti, I reckon, and then Trestles, France, Portugal, Pipeline. He would have been a runaway force that not even the League of Extraordinary Poo Men could have derailed.

Julian Wilson would have been 2015 world champ.

Oh that damned shark. That swimming embodiment of bah humbug.