Australia's latest surf sensation Julian Wilson, 19, is competing as local hero in the first WCT event of the season: he has talent, ambition and an important message.
A local newcomer caused a sensation at last year's WCT contest on Australia's Gold Coast: at the tender age of 18, Julian Wilson from Coolum Beach beat Kelly Slater, a living legend in the surfing world. "He's the junior surfer I expect to excel most in the next few years," said Slater, "because he is just oozing talent."
A man with a message
And the blond surfer, who plays golf in his spare time, is attracting considerable attention at this year's event as well: due in no small part to his bright pink surfboard. "I'm trying to increase awareness of the threat of breast cancer," he said. The 19-year-old golden boy's sensational commitment to the National Breast Cancer Foundation is motivated by events in his life: his mother conquered breast cancer 13 years ago, while two of his friends from the Junior Pro series have lost their mothers to the disease.
Julian's speciality: the Sushi Roll
Julian, who got into the Gold Coast event on a wildcard, is also attracting attention for another reason: a trick he invented called the Sushi Roll, vaguely similar to the Seat Grab in FMX, which has become his trademark at various Pro Junior contests. Why Sushi Roll? "Because I'd just eaten sushi when somebody asked me what the trick was called," he says. When asked about his next goals, he doesn't have to think long: "To win frequently," he says, "and ultimately to bag the WCT title."
Julian Wilson