Gold Coast Pro at Burleigh: Julian Wilson and Stephanie Gilmore headline list of Aussies still in the hunt at World Surf League event
Stephanie Gilmore and Julian Wilson headline a star-studded list of Aussies chasing glory at the Gold Coast Pro this weekend after a day of drama at Burleigh Heads.
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Comeback king Julian Wilson has had what he labelled his Moana moment while edging closer to an incredible Gold Coast Pro title win as a wildcard.
The Sunshine Coast surfer and former World Surf League Championship Tour runner-up took down Italo Ferreira and then Marco Mignot on a feel good family Friday to book his place in the quarter-finals while his wife Ash and children cheered from the beach.
It’s set up a super Saturday where fellow Australians Stephanie Gilmore, Isabella Nichols, Molly Picklum, Sally Fitzgibbons and Morgan Cibilic will all compete in the finals at Burleigh Heads.
Wilson, who hasn’t competed on the tour since 2021, continued his incredible professional comeback by producing a two-wavetotal of 18.0 to beat Marco Mignot 14.96 in one of the most stunning performances of the event so far.
It included huge airs and barrels, sending the crowd at Burleigh into raptures as they watched a man who is determined to qualify to next year’s Championship Tour so he can surf at the top level full time again.
“It feels amazing. To be honest this is beyond my dreams,” Wilson said.
“Next year I was manifesting something like this. It has come really quickly. I feel like as the event goes on I’m growing with it and surprising myself with my performances.
“I’ve got my three kids and my wife with me and I have to go with the flow which is really helping me.
“I used to be pretty diligent with my processes and it created good consistency when I was on tour but now I’m a completely different surfer.
“I now have no music, no headphones, I’m just happy to get to the beach on time for my heat.
“The (children’s) movie Moana has been playing in my house for the last seven years since (daughter) Olivia was born and it was like the ocean chose me on the (8.5) wave. It was so nice.”
Burleigh Boardriders talent Liam O’Brien looked destined to go on a giant-killing run and charge towards his first Championship Tour final before it came undone in the final heat of the day.
The 26-year-old took down US athlete Griffin Colapinto in the Round of 32 but lost to Kanoa Igarashi in the Round of 16.
O’Brien has had the biggest supporter group of any surfer at the event, with Burleigh Boardriders members turning out in droves to cheer on the man who crafted his skills at the right-hand point break the event is being held on.
“It’s so cool. It’s literally all the crew older than me who have helped me throughout my whole career and as a kid growing up as well as the younger crew who are the next gen coming through,” O’Brien said.
“It’s the local community and I’m very honoured to be able to represent them in an event like this.”
Competition is expected to continue around 7am on Saturday in waves between 5-7 feet, with officials to make a call early in morning.
Cibilic will compete in the second quarterfinal against Alejo Muniz before Wilson goes up against Miguel Pupo
Picklum will be in the second women’s quarterfinal against Bettylou Sakura Johnson and Gilmore will take on Erin Brooks in the third heat before Nichols and Fitzgibbons go up against each other in the final quarterfinal.
Coasters setting world surf tour alight at home
Stephanie Gilmore has reminded everyone she remains the queen of surfing by taking out reigning world champion Caitlin Simmers at the Gold Coast Pro.
The eight-time world champion hasn’t competed full time on the World Surf League Championship Tour since the start of 2024 but didn’t miss a beat on her way to eliminating Simmers in the Round of 16 at Burleigh Heads on Thursday.
Following her lead on Friday morning, Burleigh favourite Liam O’Brien won through his heat over highly-fancied American Griffin Colapinto to advance to the round of 16 in front of a boisterous home suburb crowd that included a contingent with his face cards cheering on the man they call “LOB”.
Comeback king Julian Wilson who had to win through qualifying to make the Championship Tour event earlier in the week continued his giant-killing run through to the round of 16 on Friday, knocking out world number one Brazilian Italo Ferreira.
Gilmore put together a two-wave total of 12.84 with top scores of 6.67 and 6.17 to edge out Simmers (12.50).
It’s a stark reminder of the talent the 37-year-old wildcard possesses and puts the current crop of tour competitors on notice as she mulls over whether or not to return full time in 2026.
“I love being in the water – especially when no one is out – and battling someone with a crowd on the beach while you hear people cheer,” Gilmore said.
“I absolutely love it. Caity is one of my favourite surfers and the current world champion. She is so unpredictable and fluid. She is great to watch and it’s nerve-racking surfing against people like that.
“It brings out the best in you because you have to find ways to win and dig deep to find new strategies.
“Caity said if I take her (tour) points then I have to take all of them so I guess I’m going to have to go the whole way (and win the Gold Coast Pro) now.”
Simmers chose had priority with just under five minutes left in the heat when she chose to let a wave go and it opened the door for Gilmore to score her second wave.
Simmers then fell on her next wave and it sealed the win for Gilmore.
“It got grindy in the end,” Gilmore said.
“Caity only need like a 4.8 and the first wave of the set she looked at it and didn’t go. I had a feeling that the set was maybe going to be too big and on the lower tide it was going to close out so I took the first one.
“I turned around and saw Caity on a long one and thought she had done enough but she fell off at the end.
“I was just lucky. Caity made that mistake and I was able to get through. Any other day I would have had to score and excellent ride to win the heat.”
Gilmore will compete against Canada’s Erin Brooks in the quarter-finals.
Fellow Aussie Molly Picklum also progressed to the quarter-finals while Gold Coast-based Isabella Nichols beat compatriot Sophie McCulloch to progress.
Nichols will face Australian Sally Fitzgibbons in the quarters after she beat two-time world champion Tyler Wright in the Round of 16.
In the men’s field Morgan Cibilic beat fellow Aussie Ethan Ewing in the Round of 32 to progress.
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Originally published as Gold Coast Pro at Burleigh: Julian Wilson and Stephanie Gilmore headline list of Aussies still in the hunt at World Surf League event
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