Heartbreak for Aussies as Bettylou Sakura Johnson and Filipe Toledo claim Gold Coast Pro wins
Australian surfing great Julian Wilson fell agonisingly close to completing his fairytale return to the World Surf League Championship Tour in one of the all-time great Gold Coast Pro finales. Meanwhile a young gun claimed her first ever world tour victory. Details inside.
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It was a double-dose of heartbreak for Australian surfers in Saturday’s Gold Coast Pro finale as Sally Fitzgibbons and Julian Wilson both suffered defeats in their finals.
In one of the all-time great finals, Brazilian Filipe Toledo claimed a thrilling victory over his Australian rival with the 30-year-old recording a combined score of 17.6 from his two best waves.
Wilson finished agonisingly short of completely the fairytale comeback to the World Surf League Championship Tour as the wildcard entrant scored 17.2 points from his two best waves.
The five-time Championship Tour winner was visibly emotional following his runner-up performance in his first event on the world tour since 2021.
“The fans, the support that I’ve received coming back has been quite emotional, so thank you, everyone for the support,” Wilson said.
“It’s not easy to step away from the thing you love to prioritise your family and watch from the sidelines and these surfers inspire me so much.
“This is what I was born to do, my kids got to share it this week it’s been super, super special, so just super gracious for this opportunity.”
Toledo shared his delight to claim his another Gold Coast Pro title and said it will provide a major boost for the rest of this year’s tour.
“My main goal this year was just to make the cut, and I did that in this event, so definitely felt a little more freedom to surf and a little bit more relaxed,” he said.
In the women’s final, Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson claimed her first ever Championship Tour victory with a commanding performance against 12-time winner Fitzgibbons.
“This is the best feeling in the world and I’m over the moon to have my first win here on the Gold Coast,” she said.
“This is what winning feels like ... super stoked to get this feeling and I’m so grateful for everything.
“It’s taken a lot, so much hard work and a lot of patience and perseverance to put everything together.
“This year was a really hard year for me dealing with injuries and a whole bunch of other things, but super happy to just pull it together.”
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