Julian Wilson’s incredible run from the trial to the title has fallen just short with the Australian surfing veteran beaten in an epic final at the Gold Coast Pro.
The 36-year-old from Coolum Beach squared off against Felipe Toledo in the title decider which was a repeat of their 2015 final, also won by the Brazilian, and was edged in a thriller 17.60 to 17.20.
After almost four years away from the tour, Wilson claimed the sole wildcard for the main event by winning the pre-competition trial and then surfed his way all the way through to Saturday’s final.
He and two-time world champion Toledo went blow for blow, with the crowd packed on the headland roaring their approval for both veterans for their lofty airs and searing turns.
In his first final for 2025 after taking last season off, Toledo, who scored a perfect 10 ride in his semi-final, set the benchmark early with an 8.53 which he backed up with a 9.07.
Former world No.2 Wilson kept hammering, with his top scoring waves of 8.80 and 8.40 coming in the back-end of the final in a heated finish between the rivals.
Related story: ‘Time for me to give it another crack’: surf star’s comeback bid
But in the end there was no fairytale finish and fifth title for the Sunshine Coast product, who will compete in the Challenger Series next year.
“It’s not easy to step away from the thing you love to prioritise your family and watch from the sidelines and I guess these surfers inspire me so much,” said an emotional Wilson.
“This is what I was born to do. My kids got to share it this week and it’s been super, super special.”
“It was crazy with the rematch with Jules,” Toledo said it was a “crazy rematch” with Wilson.
“With Jules coming back to the tour, winning the trial and going all the way it was such a special moment for him,” he said.
Wilson said he felt like the star of his kids’ favourite movie Moana after he upset World Surf League rankings leader Italo Ferreira on Friday, en route to the final on Saturday.
With his wife and three children watching from the beach, he eliminated Ferreira then dialled up the performance of the day in the round of 16 against French rookie Marco Mignot.
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Wilson said then that he felt like the lead character Moana, who is “chosen by the ocean”.
“The Moana movie’s been playing in my house for the last seven years since Olivia was born and it was like the ocean chose me on that (9.50) wave.
“I was halfway along it, and I was like, the ocean chose me on this wave, it’s so nice.
“It feels amazing … this is beyond my dreams at the moment.”
Wilson finished second in the race for the world title in 2018.
He has won five world tour events after more than a decade on the tour, including the famous Pipe Masters at Hawaii in 2014. He also won the Triple Crown, an iconic series in Hawaii, that year.
Wilson also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons also went down swinging in the women’s final at Burleigh Heads with Hawaii’s Bettylou Sakura Johnson claiming her first World Surf League trophy.
