Wilson’s Bali breakout

Keramas kind to Aussie after horror start to year

JULIAN Wilson admits getting a much-needed confidence boost after advancing to the last 16 at the World Surf League event in Bali.

Wilson was one of four Australians to win sudden-death heats at Keramas yesterday as series leader John John Florence crashed out.

Last year’s WSL runner-up, Wilson didn’t make it past Round 3 in either of the season’s first two events to be a lowly 23rd in the standings.

But he is guaranteed to move up after defeating Brazil’s Jadson Andre, with a neat barrel helping him to a twowave total of 12.23 to best Andre (8.00 points).

“It definitely feels good to rip off that Round 3 Band-Aid and progress,” Wilson said.

“It’s only really early in the year but two 17th-place finishes doesn’t do much for your confidence, so it was great to get through.”

Frenchman Joan Duru beat Florence by just 0.10 in their thrilling heat to open the door for ladder movement.

“My first wave I maybe pushed too hard and was kind of falling,” Duru said.

“I knew I needed to surf that heat well but I didn’t think too much. I just went for it.”

In-form NSW talent Wade Carmichael finished .19 points ahead of Deivid Silva in their battle. Gold Coast’s aerial gun Jack Freestone (11.26) trounced defending event champion Italo Ferreira (4.77) to progress in another upset on one of his favourite waves, while Ryan Callinan continued his good season by beating Hawaiian Seth Moniz.

It took American superstar Kelly Slater (12.50) to interrupt the Australian charge when he had all the answers to Owen Wright (8.30). Owen’s brother Mikey Wright will meet Adrian Buchan in an all-Australian heat when third-round action continues today.

Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Bronte Macaulay and Nikki Van Dijk are all still standing in the women’s quarter-finals ahead of what is expected to be user-friendly conditions on the Balinese island in coming days.