Shark bond runs deep as Wilson rules

Julian Wilson’s win over Gabriel Medina in the final of the Billabong Pro has propelled him to fifth on the rankings.

Julian Wilsonon his way to defeating Gabriel Medina in the final at Teahupo'o. Picture: Kelly Cestari/WSL.

This was the situation for Julian Wilson. There was a shark. There was a mate near the shark. There was a mate being knocked off his board by the shark. There was a decision to make. There was the temptation to squeal like a grommet and paddle to shore. Mick Fanning was telling him to do exactly that. Instead, Wilson stroked his board straight to what might have been a bloodbath.

Wilson’s selflessness during Fanning’s bar-room brawl with a great white at Jeffreys Bay has been his claim to fame for the past two years — and the reason for his appearance in that Gyton Grantley ad for Bundaberg Rum. But while Fanning’s most competitive days on tour are over, he’s since become a mentor to Wilson and now the 28-year-old Queenslander has powered into world-title calculations by winning the Billabong Pro in Tahiti.

It’s deflating when Teahupo’o isn’t 15-feet and life-threatening but the six-footers pushing through still gave Wilson enough barrels to tuck into and enough walls to write his signature on. He beat Brazil’s Gabriel Medina in the final to leap to fifth on the world rankings. Wilson was in a combination situation, meaning he needed more than 10 points to win, and he pulled off the near-impossible with late rides of 9.23 and 9.73 to move within reach of South Africa’s World No 1 Jordy Smith on the rankings with four events remaining.

“It’s so special to win,” Wilson said. “I’m ecstatic. I have nothing left in me. I’ve had a pretty steady start to the year and I’m so happy to be in the mix now. It was an awesome final. With that nine at the end, it was such a good wave and I was a little bit far in. But it was so nice that I wanted to make something special happen. I’m glad I got that special one. Thank you to Gabby (Medina). We seem to have these amazing match-ups and we didn’t disappoint today. It’s been such a special few days and we had a good battle. With so many events left, I’m really looking forward to the rest of the year.”

Fanning screamed at Wilson to paddle to safety when the shark knocked the three-time world champion off his board at Jeffreys Bay. For doing the opposite, Wilson was called a “warrior” and “superhero” by Fanning. He has since done what he can to help him win a world title.

Wilson was in tears after Jeffreys Bay and said: “It (the shark) came up and he was wrestling it. I saw he got knocked off his board. I was like, ‘I’ve got a board, if I can get there I can stab it or whatever. I’ve got a weapon.’ I was thinking that by the time I got there I would be swimming down to find him. It was such a horrific feeling.”