Wilson into frame
BYRON Bay surfer Matt Wilkinson may have lost the World Surf League leader’s yellow jersey but another Australian has entered the race for the world title after Julian Wilson won the Billabong Pro in Tahiti.
Wilkinson was knocked out in Round 5 this morning, going down to Brazilian Wiggoly Dantas, leaving him with a ninth place for the tournament and pushing him down to third place in the rankings, leaving Smith, defending world champion John John Florence and Owen Wright were locked in a race for the tour lead.
And after former Byron surfer Wright was bundled out by Gabriel Medina in the quarters, Smith took over as tour leader after winning his head-to-head battle with Florence in the final eight.
Smith would not make it past the semis though, with Wilson winning their battle to set up a final showdown against Medina.
The Sunshine Coaster had to surf five times in a gruelling day of action and looked to have run out of puff Medina struck early in the final, leaving Wilson needing two big scores to get himself back into contention.
He managed that, gaining a 9.23 and a 9.73 from his final two waves of the contest to prize the final from Medina.
“I was a little bit far in (to take the first one) but the wave was so nice, I wanted to make something special happen and I just did a nose-dive in the takeoff and got up in it and I knew I was back in the heat in a big way,” he said.
It left Wilson needing a score of 8.6 to win the event and he used his priority well, waiting for the right wave at a Teahupo’o break that was the best it had been all contest.
“It really turned on for us in the final and we had some great opportunities.”
The win was Wilson’s third on the WSL tour, each coming in amazingly close battles against Medina.
Wilson has long been considered a world title contender but had not won a title since Pipeline in 2014.
“It’s been a few years, it’s so special to win,” he said.
“It was such a good final. I’m pretty speechless, I’m pretty worn out, I’m ecstatic.
“I’m just so happy and relieved to finally win an event again.”
The win pushed Wilson three spots up the championship ladder to fifth and with a different athlete having won at each of the seven spots on tour this season, he is not out of the world title running, sitting just 4650 points behind Smith heading into next month’s Hurley Pro at Trestles in California.