Wilson wows top-ranked Ferreira in surfing comeback
Competing his first World Surf League event in almost four years, veteran Julian Wilson has upset tour rankings leader Italo Ferreira at the Gold Coast Pro.
Veteran surfer Julian Wilson has made a huge statement in his return to the Championship Tour, taking down rankings leader Italo Ferreira at the Gold Coast Pro.
With the Burleigh Heads break producing a steady stream of waves around two metres, competitors relished the conditions in Friday morning action.
None more so than 36-year-old Wilson, who stepped away from the tour in 2021 for mental health reasons.
Earning a wildcard into the event after winning the qualifying competition, the Queenslander stretched his unbeaten record over the Brazilian to five wins with his victory in the round of 32.
Wilson said he had to rush to the beach, delayed by his three children and believing he was due for a start half an hour later.
“It got the heart-rate going very quickly but it kind of worked in my favour,” he told the WSL.
“I didn’t really get to watch the conditions, I planned to have another 30 minutes to get in the water and ride some waves.
“It kind of worked in my favour cause the line-ups’ super tricky this morning and I felt like I adapted pretty well as I think if I had expectations of better waves it would have been harder to tune into what was actually going on.”
Ferreira suffered an early blow when he landed heavily and buckled his board attempting a big aerial manoeuvre on his first wave and had to paddle to shore for a replacement.
He then made a bizarre choice to scramble over the rocks to re-enter rather than take a jetski, then changing his plan and taking a path over the headland.
His time out of the water gave five-time CT tour winner and former world No.2 Wilson free rein to rack up a combined score of 9.30, although he just failed to punch through a barrel which would have given him a commanding lead.
Looking frazzled, Olympic gold medallist Ferreira tried to play catch up but it took until the halfway mark of their 30 minute heat to lodge a score of 3.77.
As the heat wound down Ferreira was chasing a gettable score of 7.10 but couldn’t find a winning wave.
Wilson will take on Frenchman Marco Mignot in the round of 16 after he eliminated fellow rookie George Pittar in a high-quality heat.
With contrasting styles, Mignot’s air-reverse antics earned a two-wave score of 16.23, pipping the Manly surfer, whose rail work tallied 14.23.
On Thursday another wildcard Morgan Cibilic shocked fellow Australian and current men’s world No.2 Ethan Ewing.
He will next meet Hawaiian Seth Moniz in the men’s round of 16 later on Friday, while the women’s quarter-finals will be held over.
Stay informed, daily
Surf duel of generations
Australian surfing icon Stephanie Gilmore beat reigning world champion Caity Simmers to reach the quarter-finals at the Gold Coast Pro.
Stephanie Gilmore on her way to clinching a WSL quarter-final spot on the Gold Coast. Photo: World Surf League
Gilmore, 37, is through to the quarter-finals in her first World Surf League event for nearly two years after beating the 19-year-old American on Thursday in the round of 16 at Burleigh Heads.
The Australian eight-time world champion relished her tactical battle with the reigning world champion and current world No.2, edging her out 12.84 to 12.50 after Simmers fell at a crucial point in the heat.
“Caity’s one of my favorite surfers – she’s the current world champion, she’s probably everyone’s favorite surfer,” wildcard entry Gilmore said.
“She’s so unpredictable and just fluid and really great to watch.
“It’s nerve-wracking surfing against people like that, but it really brings out the best in you because you have to find ways to win and dig deep and find new strategies and stuff, and I just enjoyed it a lot.”
It was a day of upsets, with Australian Sally Fitzgibbons beating compatriot and world No.5 Tyler Wright.
Hawaiian world No.1 Gabriela Bryan was another big-name casualty, falling to Brazilian Luana Silva.
Gilmore will have another inter-generational heat in the quarters, taking on 17-year-old Canadian rookie Erin Brooks.
While some of the guns misfired, Australian world No.3 Molly Picklum put an upset Bells Beach loss behind her with the highest women’s heat score of the day, a 16.27, to also reach the quarters.
Picklum will face Fitzgibbons in an all-Australian heat.
Compatriot Isabella Nichols, who won Bells for the first time, was another to progress as Brazilian two-time world champion Filipe Toledo shone.
