Is Mateus Herdy A Julian Wilson Reincarnate?

It could just be the neon.

Or, it could be 18-year-old Mateus Herdy’s ability to light up any section that comes his way. The Brazilian’s knack for finding a ramp or sticking to a wall with creative and lively rail work reminds us of a fellow youth prodigy and now JS teammate, Julian Wilson.

The similarities are evident: wide stances, low bottom turns, explosiveness out of the lip, Red Bull and Quiksilver* stickers on board, and we can’t ignore that Mateus even physically resembles a young Julian. Do you see it?

Now, we aren’t saying that Julian is going anywhere soon, but Mateus looks ready and willing to take over the reigns whenever Jules decides to call it quits and enjoy life as, well, Julian Wilson.

Herdy, the recently crowned WSL World Junior Champ, showed us a flash of brilliance this year on the Goldy, when the wildcard advanced ahead of Julian in their Round 2 heat at the Quiky Pro. Herdy would ultimately fall in the next round to Gabriel Medina, who posted a whopping and basically unbeatable 19.13 heat total, but the potential is there.

Currently ranked 94th on the Qualifying Series, Herdy looks to build upon some early CT success, and with a fresh batch of JS Surfboards under his feet, we believe Mateus will be a staple on the World Tour in the near future.

*Teenage Julian also rode for the mountain and wave.