Julian Wilson’s Honest Account Of Life After Tour

“I was bummed for sure because that’s what I knew, it was my purpose,” Julian Wilson says of stepping away from the CT after a decade of residing in surfing’s elite penthouse.

“I loved focusing on the competition and the challenge of going for a world title. That’s where my head was at. A world title would have been cool, but I don’t want to be remembered as a world champion over somebody that had to give up being a good dad or husband. I was proud of myself for doing it, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”  

Julian, now 35 years old, is obviously in a different space, mentally and physically, from the Hurley poster boy landing groundbreaking full rotations and starring in the big-budget surf films of the day. 

Aurora Australis is Julian’s honest take on how he’s changed over the years, specifically regarding his decision to not chase heat wins and embrace raising a young family. He also candidly reflects on how fortunate he’s been to have longevity in a career as fantastical as professional surfing and drops words of wisdom to the next generation. 

“I try and share the fact that that is the dream,” he says. “Be happy doing it, enjoy it, don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy your hobbies, be true to yourself and align with your values. Take your strength from that.”

The clip, tastefully crafted by Sun Bum and Wasted Talent, also reveals that Julian still has plenty of juice left to squeeze out of his surfing. In addition to longboarding around his hometown, he is still ready and willing to blast the end section with scroll-stopping straight airs at Lakey Peak. 

Julian also answers something I’ve wondered before: Why he kept skating and hitting jumps on his dirt bike at the height of his CT powers. 

“I think what helped me achieve everything I did was letting those hobbies exist and influence my surfing career in a very positive way,” he says. “I always skated and rode my dirt bike, just enjoyed those things with my friends when it was time to switch off from surfing. I always felt like it influenced my surfing. It always kept me in a way that wasn’t so predictable.”