COOLUM’S Julian Wilson has announced his return to professional surfing in dazzling style after taking out the runner-up title at the Gold Coast Pro at Burleigh Heads on May 10.
Julian only narrowly missed out on the win against Brazil’s Filipe Toledo, scoring 17.20 to Toledo’s 17.60 in clean, three-to-four-foot surf.
Stop No. 6 on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) saw the two competitors put on incredible performances on finals day in front of tens of thousands of fans who lined the famous surfing headland.
In an exact rematch of the 2015 Gold Coast Pro Final, the Brazilian once again claimed victory over Australia’s Julian Wilson. Despite the final result, Julian was stoked with his performance after gaining a wildcard entry.
“First and foremost, thank you to the WSL for giving me just a chance,” Julian said.
“To convert it into what it’s turned into has been a very memorable experience for me. The fans, the support that I’ve received coming back has been quite emotional, so thank you everyone for the support.”
Wilson last appeared on the CT in 2021, withdrawing after the fifth event of the pandemic-affected season in order to spend more time with his family. Having never officially retired, the 2018 World Title runner-up had long considered returning to the CT.
“It’s not easy to step away from the thing you love to prioritise your family and watch from the sidelines. These surfers inspire me so much, and this is what I was born to do.
“My kids got to share it this week, it’s been super super special. Thanks to my sponsors, thanks to my wife… congratulations to Filipe. The Brazilian crowd got me so fired up out there today, and from the bottom of my heart, I love you guys.”
The men’s final opened with fireworks and did not let up, with Wilson and Toledo going blow-for-blow in an extremely competitive final.
An opening full rotation air reverse from Toledo was met with two variations of a slob-grab air reverse from Wilson in consecutive waves, giving the Australian an early advantage. But Toledo was only just getting started.
A long barrel to giant hack earned an 8.53, before an aggressive two-turn combo collected a 9.07. Wilson responded by improving on both of his scores, posting two excellent 8-point rides of his own, but his second of the two fell short of the requirement, leaving Toledo victorious.
The women’s final saw another veteran Australian come in second with Sally Fitzgibbons (7.83) not able to edge out Bettylou Sakura Johnson (15.33) from Hawaii.
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