Stab Magazine | A brief conversation with Julian Wilson

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

562 Views

A brief conversation with Julian Wilson

Determination burns behind Julian Wilson’s eyes. But right now, those eyes water in the wind of a howling La Graviere onshore. It’s overcast, windy, 10 feet and miserable. The beauty of the French WT event, however, is in the unpredictability of it all. Windblown and 10 feet today, sheet glass and six feet tomorrow. And Julian loves the challenge of it. His competitiveness saw him win the US Open of Surfing last month, but more pertinently it saw him into the final of last year’s Quik Pro, France. And it isn’t crazy to imagine a similar scenario this year. So, just what exactly is going on behind those eyes, right now in Hossegor… Stab: What clubs have you got in your bag for France? Julian: I’ve got six Mayhems and six JS for this European leg. The sizes don’t really vary too much, I’ve got a Mayhem fish, and my biggest board’s a 6’3″, then my shorties are all around 6’0″. But, is France the kinda place where you need bigger backup? Not necessarily, no. It all just depends. I’ve got some shortboards that are quad fin setup and have more thickness to them, which I’d ride in bigger waves. It seems like a lot of the longer board stuff is coming back to getting a lot shorter. Just through what Kelly’s been doing and… people aren’t necessarily travelling with four or five step-ups anymore. It’s more like, keeping it around the shortboard range, but with a little more thickness or rocker, or a different fin setup. Is it easier coming back to somewhere you’ve done well before, or harder? I think it’s definitely a good thing coming back to somewhere you’ve done well, because you know that you can actually do well at that place. France is a really fun event, because due to conditions, you can surf five different heats on five different boards. I like the fact that you’ve kinda gotta pick a board to suit whatever the waves are like, and trust it. I try to ride just one or two boards in an event, but last year in France I rode four different boards in the contest. The conditions can change every hour, depending on tide and wind. But that makes it a really fun event and it’s cool to see how everyone adapts to the waves. Who are the guys to watch at this event? I think from past results, and especially due to the nature of the waves in France, I’d definitely say Mick and Kelly. They always know how to adapt and they have that belief in themselves to go and ride new boards or whatever in heats. Those guys have proven that they’re pretty deadly out there, they’ve both won the event. They’re the two strongest that stand out right now to me, for sure.

news // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Determination burns behind Julian Wilson’s eyes. But right now, those eyes water in the wind of a howling La Graviere onshore. It’s overcast, windy, 10 feet and miserable. The beauty of the French WT event, however, is in the unpredictability of it all. Windblown and 10 feet today, sheet glass and six feet tomorrow. And Julian loves the challenge of it. His competitiveness saw him win the US Open of Surfing last month, but more pertinently it saw him into the final of last year’s Quik Pro, France. And it isn’t crazy to imagine a similar scenario this year. So, just what exactly is going on behind those eyes, right now in Hossegor…

Stab: What clubs have you got in your bag for France?
Julian: I’ve got six Mayhems and six JS for this European leg. The sizes don’t really vary too much, I’ve got a Mayhem fish, and my biggest board’s a 6’3″, then my shorties are all around 6’0″.

But, is France the kinda place where you need bigger backup? Not necessarily, no. It all just depends. I’ve got some shortboards that are quad fin setup and have more thickness to them, which I’d ride in bigger waves. It seems like a lot of the longer board stuff is coming back to getting a lot shorter. Just through what Kelly’s been doing and… people aren’t necessarily travelling with four or five step-ups anymore. It’s more like, keeping it around the shortboard range, but with a little more thickness or rocker, or a different fin setup.

Is it easier coming back to somewhere you’ve done well before, or harder? I think it’s definitely a good thing coming back to somewhere you’ve done well, because you know that you can actually do well at that place. France is a really fun event, because due to conditions, you can surf five different heats on five different boards. I like the fact that you’ve kinda gotta pick a board to suit whatever the waves are like, and trust it. I try to ride just one or two boards in an event, but last year in France I rode four different boards in the contest. The conditions can change every hour, depending on tide and wind. But that makes it a really fun event and it’s cool to see how everyone adapts to the waves.

Who are the guys to watch at this event? I think from past results, and especially due to the nature of the waves in France, I’d definitely say Mick and Kelly. They always know how to adapt and they have that belief in themselves to go and ride new boards or whatever in heats. Those guys have proven that they’re pretty deadly out there, they’ve both won the event. They’re the two strongest that stand out right now to me, for sure.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025

SEOTY: The ‘Once-In-A-Decade’ Caribbean Swell That Kelly Slater Passed On

Michael Dunphy stars in Jimmicane's 'Blue Veil'

Jun 25, 2025

Who Owns Bingin? Legal Fight To Stop Demolition Begins

Eviction notices served for all businesses built on state land.

Jun 25, 2025

Tony Hawk Just Named Hughie Vaughan’s Internet-Breaking Air Because… No One Else Can

89% of our IG poll respondents claimed the 'stale fish flipper' was the best air…

Jun 25, 2025

German Surfers: AN INVESTIGATION

Truth is the light by which the world can see. 

Jun 24, 2025

“I Lost Everything I’ve Ever Owned, But This Board Came Back”

One month after the LA wildfires, a surfboard washed ashore.

Jun 24, 2025
Advertisement