Gallery: Julian Wilson’s Clinic For A Better Surfing Future

Last weekend a sea of pink descended on the shoreline at Coolum Beach, youngsters clinging to their five foot twigs, grinning from ear to ear in the presence of their idol. 

Julian Wilson weaved among them, sporting a taped torso from his recent fall, mending, yet sharing their vibrant expressions. It was day one of a weekend of activities – both lighthearted and competitive.

Julian Wilson’s Serious Fun Weekend kicked off with pristine weather and lively surf conditions. The Saturday was a sold out event. Groms had their hair clipped, they tapped golf balls with putters, sprayed surfboards, printed t-shirts and surfed.

Sun bleached hair, stickers and paperweight foam. Before the battle with a handful of Australia’s brightest.

The reason for all the pink was for breast cancer awareness. The JW Snapper Boardshorts (worn by many, including Jules) have a special significance as Julian’s mother, Nola, collaborated with Hurley on the design, which Julian will be sporting at Snapper Rocks in March.

Jules told Stab prior to the event that the activities he’d planned were based around his youth and introduction to the world of surf. It was organised as a “reflection of my childhood growing up on the Sunshine Coast and getting into a lot of different things, skateboarding, long-boarding, short-boarding, boogie boarding, motorbikes all that stuff,” he said over the phone. It was a non-craft-discriminatory weekend and the kids loved it.

A veteran and his protege, the triumphant Xavier Huxtable.

Now, the event wasn’t all just fun and games. There was a competitive agenda too, and Mr Wilson was also eager to take the pulse of Australia’s surfing future, as well encourage its progression. He rounded up twelve of the nations brightest and pitched them against one other, WCT style.

The venue was Yaroomba Beach and the under 18s – knowing that celebrity eyes watched from ashore – put on a spectacle. It was young Xavier Huxtable, who took it out in the end. He packed his parents car with a number of prizes including a JS Custom board (based off the board Jules learned to surf on) as well as a trip to Indonesia to shoot with the man himself.

So who exactly did Jules deem as the ‘movers and shakers’ of Australia’s surfing future?

Caleb Tancred, Oscar Berry, Winter Vincent, Jarvis Earle, Dakoda Walters, Xavier Hustable, Zahli Kelly, Cooper Davies, Zane Assink, Ethan Stocks, Marlon Harrison and Jay Occhilupo.