Julian Wilson’s 10-point alley oop, Peniche, Portugal

Was it as big as John John’s? You’ll watch John John Florence’s oop at Keramas again and you’ll say, “No, John’s was bigger.” But then you’ll re-watch Julian Wilson’s alley oop from today at the Rip Curl Pro, Peniche and you will say, “No, Julian’s was bigger.” And so on. In kinda solid, occasionally-amazing waves at Supertubos today, Jules burnt down the line and flung outta the lip as a slice of backwash kicked into it, shooting him to a vertigo height. He greased the landing like a gymnast and the sand erupted.

“I felt like I’d bit off more than I could chew when I was in the air on that one,” said Jules. “But somehow I pulled it. Not sure how I did. That section was really, really good, and I think there was almost a bit of the backwash in it as well, that kind of pushed me even higher in the air. That’s the thing I love about competition, you put yourself in those situations where you don’t even for a second think about not making it. In a freesurf I probably would have pulled the eject button like halfway through that air, that was for sure the biggest alley-oop I’ve ever done.”