Mick Fanning effusive in praise for Wilson's return, "Been waiting for this day!! Go get 'em!"
There was little doubt, if we’re to look deep into our hearts, that former title contender Julian Wilson would one day return to the world tour.
Three years ago, Julian Wilson lit up Instagram with his shock decision to, well, not exactly retire he said, but draw the curtain on his pro surfing career immediately following the Olympics. Wilson, who was only thirty-three at the time, was rated seventeenth on the tour after a pretty ordinary start to the year where he’d netted two seventeenths, two ninths and a fifth.
It wasn’t exactly the world tour year Wilson was hoping for before the window of opportunity closed for the class of 1988, which also includes South African Jordy Smith.
“I’m returning to my roots,” Wilson told the WSL. “I’ll be found surfing the points at Noosa on my longboard and I will also be found chasing some fun high-performance waves around Australia. I have a few projects coming to life that I’m really excited about and I’m just really looking forward to take a step back for a little while.
Wilson had orbited the tour since 2011, was a rookie of the year, made Gabriel Medina cry when he beat him in Portugal in 2012, he beat Medina in the final of the Pipe Masters in 2014 and three years later beat Medina to win the 2017 Tahiti Pro. In 2018, he was the only non-Brazilian to win a tour event.
In 2015, Julian Wilson bravely paddled towards Mick Fanning in his own existential battle with the second-greatest predator of all time, the Great White shark.
Wilson followed Dane Reynolds/Craig Anderson and Luke Egan into the rag-trade, Reynolds and Ando with Former and Egan with Depactus, a brand that flew a little too close to the sun before the glue holding its wings melted and it was bought for a song by SurfStitch.
Well, today, Julian Wilson has announced he’s back in the competitive surfing game and, although he doesn’t know if his return will be greeted with open arms from the WSL, wildcards etc, he don’t care.
He’s back, even if he has to do regional qualifying events with hopped up eighteen year olds.
This time three years ago I was sitting in a hotel quarantine room in the aftermath of my Tokyo Olympic campaign, watching my dream as a WT surfer fade away while heading home to be the best partner and Dad that could be during a very challenging time (mentally).
I don’t regret my decision for a second and I love my wife and family to bits. Nothing in life compares to a healthy relationship at home and the opportunity to raise a family.
The past 6 months I’ve had competing firmly at the forefront of my mind. It’s time for me to give it another crack. My hope is to get a WSL wildcard for the 2025 challenger series.
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Much praise from many legends including Mick Fanning who wrote, “Been waiting for this day!! Go get em!” and even the surfer whom Julian made cry, Gabriel Medina.
“Come back brother,” writes Medina, who added the Raising Hands enjoy which indicates praise or celebration.
Question for the below-the-liners: what sorta chance has Julian Wilson got to get through the Challenger Series and then to climb back into the upper rungs of the Champ Tour?
Excellent or not quite-so-excellent?
He’ll get smoked by light footed Brazilians on the changa, but I look forward to seeing him get through a few heats by name recognition/talent
Somebody has got be be excited by these news. I can’t be the only one, right?
5. Burn all your Hurley gear for the way they fucked Julian over his contract during COVID.
Greedy bitch board members overseeing surf companies they acquired from the founders are the real predators.
and ValiantScorn when he’s tryna strike a chord cuz it’s probably a minorrrrrrrrrrr
About as much chance as his hairline.
I would rather watch Josh Kerr surf.
lol Jordy doesn’t even win the title of “best surfer to never win a title”
ohh the thickness!
I’m stoked. Good to see where he’s at and what he can still bring. Go Dads.
I reckon he is social savvy enough to not post photos down and dirty with the judges , so all in! at least for the first 3 comps,,,,,
Looking forward to seeing Jules back on tour.
One of the best in the business. rips in all conditions and all sizes.
….although i’ve seen him be brutally underscored.
Hope he
wakesshakes up the CT, and now with finals in Fiji, he could easily get that ring.Maybe you could sit with Joe T and flesh out a draft to be regurgitated every heat? No need, this thing writes itself!
”Up next against Jake Marshall, you might remember him, a young gun from Noosa… quiksilver slater golf… came through the ranks… such a great competitor… pioneer of something… battles with Medina… Kai Neville video sections so cool… Fell off tour… own brand, so cool… dirt bikes… wife and kids… JS Industries team so cool… parko occy luke Egan Mikey wright ace buchan Ryan callinan Connor coffin Kauli vaast olympic gold medal… Julian Wils…”
I’d get arrested if I sat next to Joey T., because I’d smack him after 5 minutes.
Just always thought Julian was agent surfer.
Like a CHAOS Agent? Orrrr…..?
agent provocateur
I meant to say “a great surfer” but the BG thesaurus took hold of my comment.
I know right! The other day I wrote cunting and it corrected me to counting. I didn’t want to count anything!!!
Gil Cunterson
You’ve been talking with Mrs Cunterson I see!
right?, the other day I wrote cunt and a pop up add appeared with Hillary Clinton asking for donations for Kamala Harris.
Stupid AI, I didn’t use the plural.
If he can surf as unpredictable as that announcement…maybe a glimmer.
So is Rivvia in debt cos barely anyone’s ever heard of it it ?
Is this a way to get some much needed publicity in an attempt to trade his way out, and cheaper than sponsoring a posse of young guns ?
Or is he just bored at home ?
I am pretty sure I watched or read after one too many beers that he was having or just had his third kid via his wife. Says it all. Bailed on the tour during Covid to spend more time with the family. Now tired of changing diapers he is realizing his old job wasn’t so bad after all. A little two week vacation every month or two? Sounds nice to me. He probably sold it too the wife that they are getting short on money. The long play is to get Rivvia some more exposure so that eventually a brand like Vuori buys them out as they shutter the doors. Not gonna get the scores he needs on tour to do any damage without those golden locks though.
Will he make it back to the CT? No idea. But as a sometime watcher of second-tier competitive surfing, I am here for this with bells on.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Do Rivvia make surf hats? He’ll need one of those
Have to giggle every time I listen to John Laws and he has ads for ‘Rivia’ (Revere) orthotic sandals. Could be a good market for him in the future.
Transitioning to eco orthotics is a well worn path… *cough cough Kelly cough*
He could just wear one giant Puka shell on his head!
The Puka Rivvia Mouth? I hear it gets good
The Puka peninsula!
Nailed it
All these surfers have learned nothing from the goat R. Kelly. Just because you are older than 35 and no longer have hair you don’t need to work toward “getting back on tour”. He is was and will ever be the only one to offer anything to the tour after 35. Have some dignity, you are not Robert Kelly Slater. Grow that thinning hair out, relax that waistline, put some liters on that 6’0″, and learn how to be of service to the world in any other way than posting two 7’s to squeak through to the next round. Why won’t we grow up like surfers used to? There weren’t any 36 year olds on tour in the 80’s. Hell 25 was old back then. Damn you K11ly!
I remember as a grommet pulling up in the car park watching Wayne Lynch surf when he was about 36. He took off and I didn’t know who it was and said “geez, good bottom turn!”. Dad just said “it’s Wayne”. The thought of him surfing junk waves on the ASP tour against Potter, Curren, and co would have been completely nuts though.
The hero’s of the past had a sense of dignity that is totally lost in this age.
lmao calling him R Kelly is quite an interesting choice
The story of how he got Kalani’s dad to agree to saving her for him at a very young age makes it less interesting and more of an ah ha moment. I hope he is willing to come clean about it one day.
Jesus Christ….
Hey universe can I please just have ONE PERSON I can admire and look up to for their lifespan WITHOUT some weird pedo grooming shit coming to light and making it all feel really fucking gross?
Good on him.
Best technique in the game, his only flaw is that he is too happy.
Gotta have some dog in you.
He’s off to a bad start closing out that Insta post with “Keep it fun”.
That’s why Taj couldn’t win and Machado
Mick is angry. Andy was angry. Kelly is a cunt. Ditto Gabriel.
Jordan. Kobe. You gotta have an edge when skill levels approach level.
Agree, but I’m tipping Joycey’s rediscovered his inner cunt. Go get em!
Steph Curry
Ali
Katy Leddiki (sp!)
maybe these are exceptions but also maybe you are right Hippy, and these guys have the dog in em too?
Ok so explain my mind-blowing lack of success despite being a world-class cunt for a solid 2 decades.
checkmate
JJF strikes me as a happy dude.
Last time he was being paid a mil a year to surf this time round he will have to foot the bill plus he is trying to get a mil or 2 flowing through the rivia bank accounts which may be the difference
he’s been ripping.