Julian Wilson, Australia
2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 3
2015 World Ranking: 6
2015 WCT Wins: 0
Julian Wilson is a surfer that I expect to see take the next
step in 2016. While 2014 was a lost year for Wilson aside from a surprising win
at Pipe, 2015 was a resurgent campaign for the flashy Aussie. Wilson didn’t win
a WCT contest in 2015, but he notched three second-place finishes, as well as a
third. One of Wilson’s seconds came at J-Bay, where he and Mick Fanning were
both awarded second-place points after the shark attack, but it’s hard to
imagine Wilson beating Fanning that day at that break anyway.
 |
| Julian Wilson, always supremely confident in the air. Courtesy of Steven Tyler PJs |
A few years ago I thought of Julian as a guy that could
really only challenge the top surfers in high-performance waves. He’s always
been dangerous in conditions often seen at Trestles and the like, but over the
last couple of years he has become a better-rounded surfer, one that is a
threat at every stop on the World Tour. This is evidenced by him taking
second-place results at both Snapper and Fiji this year, very dissimilar events.
Wilson can take to the air with the best of ‘em, but he can also tuck himself
into some really gnarly barrels and get spit out with aplomb.
I must admit that Julian is one of my favorite surfers on
the pro tour to watch. He’s got style, a flare for the dramatic, the guts to go
for the huge maneuver and an arsenal of skills that make him one of the most
exciting competitors at the highest level of the sport. Consistency has often
been a weakness for Wilson, and if he can avoid early contest exits in 2016 he
should be able to challenge for a Top 5 spot in the rankings and potentially
the World Title. He now has the versatile game to make a run at the crown.
Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf
No comments:
Post a Comment