Julian Wilson says Australia’s youngsters must stand up and defend the nations proud surfing reputation

JULIAN Wilson says the absence of Mick Fanning and Owen Wight has put pressure on youngsters to step up and defend Australia’s proud surfing reputation.

WORLD title hopeful Julian Wilson says the absence of Mick Fanning and the injured Owen Wight has put pressure on surfers to step up and defend Australia’s reputation as one of the sport’s top nations.

Fanning is in Berlin for the Laureus sports awards where he is up for two gongs, while Wright is still suffering serious effects from a head injury sustained in a wipeout last December.

Also missing from the Australian armada is an injured Bede Durbidge while Taj Burrow is set to retire from competitive surfing at Cloudbreak in Fiji.

Winner Sebastian Zietz (blue) and runner up Julian Wilson after the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro.

Wilson, who made his first final of the year at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro on Saturday, said there was a weight of expectation on remaining surfers including him, Matt Wilkinson and Joel Parkinson.

“With guys like Mick and Owen gone for the moment there is pressure on us others to perform,” Wilson said.

The Sunshine Coast surfer impressed in his first world championship tour final against Hawaiian injury replacement Sebastian Zietz on the weekend.

“I’m happy to get a good result here and Bells was a better result than last year,” Wilson said.

“I look forward to the rest of the year and to carry that momentum and fire into Brazil.”

The next event on the men’s and women’s world tour is in Rio from May 10.

Wilkinson will go into the third round with the world No.1 ranking with Parkinson moving into fifth place and Wilson in seventh.

In the women’s Tyler Wright wears the No.2 jersey with American Courtney Conlogue the ratings leader. Stephanie Gilmore is fifth and Sally Fitzgibbons sixth.