DURBIDGE GIVES WILSON WAVE OF SUPPORT
JULIAN Wilson says the passion of retiring Gold Coaster Bede Durbidge is helping power his World Surf League championship dreams as he makes an 11th hour bid for a maiden title.
Wilson won the Billabong Pro Tahiti at Teahupo’o earlier in the season and made the semi-finals at J-Bay but has had an otherwise inconsistent year and will carry at least one 13th placing in his final results this year.
While Wilson is still mathematically in the title hunt, he probably needs to win the final two events of the year – the Rip Curl Pro, in Portugal, which continued last night and the Pipe Masters in Hawaii in December – to have any chance of winning.
But his late charge is being powered in part by Durbidge, who will retire at the end of the Australian leg of next year’s tour before becoming Surfing Australia’s elite program manager ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
It’s cold and dark in Portugal in the mid-autumn mornings but Durbidge, who has been rooming with Wilson at the Rip Curl Pro, has been encouraging the Sunshine Coast surfer out of bed and into the ocean in a bid to produce his best at Supertubos.
“It’s his last event here, we’re staying together and he’s so fired up,” Wilson said.
“He’s the most excited frother I’ve ever stayed with. It feels funny that he’s going to retire, he’s just so excited.
“We came down in the dark the last two days and had some surfs.”
Durbidge returned to the tour at the Pipe Masters last December, a year after breaking his pelvis in a horrific wipeout at the powerful Hawaiian break.
He was knocked out in the second round in Portugal earlier this week, losing to young American Connor Coffin in his final event there.
“It was quite emotional seeing him walk up the beach after his last heat here,” Wilson said.
“To see that legacy that he leaves behind, to see him walk up the beach (for the last time was sad).
“But he’s on his way home to welcome his second child, so maybe it was an omen.”
John John Florence moved a step closer to a successful defence of his title when his main rival, South African Jordy Smith was knocked out in Round 3 in Portugal.