Julian Wilson says world surfing tour to hit new heights in 2019 ahead of Tokyo Olympics

World No. 2 Julian Wilson is tipping the standard of World Tour surfing will hit new levels and says he and other Australians need to “step up to keep up”.

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World No. 2 Julian Wilson is tipping the standard of World Tour surfing will hit new levels this season and says he and other Australians surfers need to “step up to keep up” with a rising tide of top surfers from rival nations.

Wilson has emerged from a five week break following his close but eventually unsuccessful battle for the world crown with Brazilian Gabriel Medina in Hawaii in December.

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But he will ease into his preparations for another tilt at the world crown by running, rather than surfing in, his own event at his home beach of Coolum this weekend.

Australian surfer Julian Wilson flying high in France last year despite an injured shoulder.

“I’m not itchy to get back yet. I’ve been enjoying the break,” said Wilson, who is running the Hurley Julian Wilson Seriously Fun event for junior surfers this weekend.

“Snapper (Rocks, venue of the world tour opener in April) is still so far away and I don’t want to get excited too soon.

“It’s been a nice feeling to have the extra time, the extra month this year.”

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With the 2019 world tour doubling as an Olympic qualifier for the top men and women in the sport, Wilson knows it will be harder than ever to win events and fulfil his dream of being the first Australian man since Mick Fanning in 2013 to win a world title.

Surfer Julian Wilson is expecting the level on the world tour to lift significantly this year. Pic: Toby Zerna

But he believes he is up to the task after last year falling just short despite surfing the first part of the season with a debilitating shoulder injury.

”Definitely. It was such a rollercoaster of year so to know I can be in that sort of state of mind and still perform at a high level despite the hurdles is good,” he said.

“It shows I can persevere and still achieve.

“I think the level of surfing will rise now it’s also an Olympic qualifier. It’s moving at a rapid rate, there’s a lot of new faces coming on, but it’s exciting.

“The Aussies, we will have to step it up to keep up.”

Julian Wilson is a big hit with young surfers

Julian Wilson at his surf event in Queensland last year

At his annual Seriously Fun event on Saturday, Wilson has invited 14 of Australia’s top under 16 surfers to compete alongside two international wildcards.

Wilson said the concept of the competition part of the event is to give young surfers a taste of what they can expect on the world tour if they graduate to it in the future.

“It is creating an event which replicates what it is like on the world tour with rashes, their own locker and the priority system. It really gives them a taste of what it will be like.”