Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing and Bodyboarding News Center. Breaking News, Surfing Games, Surf Movies, Board Size Charts, Surf Videos, Wind and Wave Forecasts, Surf Shop, Surf Spots, Surf Cams, Surf Travel.
Julian Wilson wins the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012
Friday, 19 October 2012 14:21

Julian Wilson: he smiled at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012

Julian Wilson has conquered the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012, at Supertubos, Peniche, in a dream final matchup. The 2012 ASP World Tour title race gets fired up and everything will be decided in Pipeline.


Gabriel Medina and Julian Wilson relived a final held last year, in France. Before this year's clash, Wilson had never won an ASP World Tour stage, while Medina had already two titles under his belt. This time, the Australian prevailed. It's Julian Wilson first WCT victory ever.

The natural footer versus goofy-footer battle of aerialists was super tight. Onshore winds brought aerial maneuvers to life and wave face work. Julian opened well, but Medina recovered with two good waves that would grant him the lead for the last 10 minutes of the final. With five minutes remaining, Wilson could not halt Gabe's extended lead.

But the winner was crowned in the sand, while judges carefully analyzed a last ride. It was Julian Wilson who would smile with a great wave in the dying seconds of the final. Revenge.

"I'm overwhelmed," Wilson said. "I don't even know how to describe the feeling. He was too busy worrying about me, and that wave came in the dying moments and that was the scorer. I don’t know what to say, I'm just so happy."

"I felt like I got the score. Especially after my other wave that I got a 7 on, but at the same time the crowd was pretty quiet. I didn't feel that confident walking up the beach. Wilko had my back but he wasn’t 100% sure. Then they just read the score out and I was so happy. This is what dreams are made of".

Gabriel Medina cried a few tears in an emotional trophy ceremony. Julian Wilson showed appreciation and respect for the Brazilian and celebrated with the thousands of spectators in the beach.

Four Australian surfers entered the Quarterfinals, two got through to the Semifinals and only one hit the final of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012, in the European Pipeline. Julian Wilson, a surfer from Coolum Beach, had only locked a runner-up result in the 2012 Quiksilver Pro France.

Joel Parkinson lost the first Semifinal matchup against Gabriel Medina, but gets a third place to add to his best 2012 results. "I'm enjoying myself", he revealed. The leader of the WCT rankings before the last North American leg had already told that everything could happen and no fireworks were being thrown.

"Even though he (Slater) is in second on the ratings and he's out of the event, we have a little bit of work to do in front of us," Parkinson said. "It definitely tightens up the race a little. I guess doing that might bring it down to Pipe".

In the second Semifinal, Julian Wilson closed a total 19.27 points, in the first 10 minutes of the Semifinal against Adriano de Souza. How did he do that? The answer is simple: air game and backside tube riding.

Perfect 10 rides, broken boards, shocking exits and surfing sardines. Supertubos paid off and will certainly return in 2013 with flawless barrels, sun and thousands of spectators. Now, it's Santa Cruz time, before the Triple Crown of Surfing.

Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012 Final Result:
Julian Wilson (AUS), 16.26 points def. Gabriel Medina (BRA), 15.37 points

ASP World Championship Tour Rankings after Rip Curl Pro Portugal:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 52,700 pts
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 47,200 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 47,000 pts
4. John John Florence (HAW) 44,350 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 37,650 pts


 

Join our surfing community in Facebook!   Get the top news stories in your Twitter account!   SurferToday.com on Google +   Follow us on Pinterest   SurferToday on Youtube

The best surf watches in the world
Wave Height Forecast
Wind Speed and Direction Forecast
Wave Period
Surf Videos
Surf Books
Surf Movies
Online Surfing Games

SURFING

John John Florence pulls biggest Alley-Oop in pro surfing
18/06/2013
article thumbnail

Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Bruce Irons, Kelly Slater, Josh Kerr, Julian Wilson and Gabriel Medina have fallen in Round 1 of the 2013 Oakley Pro Bali, at Keramas, Indonesia.
The chest-head high waves on offer brought a few surprises on the first elimination round of the 2013 Oakley Pro Bali. John John Florence scored one of the biggest airs ever seen in competitive surfing. Full rotation up in the sky awarded with a 10-point ride. Unbelievable Alley-Oop.


Tom Butler and Sebastian Steudtner want the biggest waves in Europe
17/06/2013
article thumbnail

Tom Butler and Sebastian Steudtner had a busy winter chasing huge swells around Europe.
When they're not surfing, Butler and Steudtner never stop training and getting fit for the next big wave surfing session. Road cycling is a big part of their training program as is boxing. In the beginning of the year, two huge swells invaded the Atlantic. On the 13th January, Shane Dorian pushed the both European surfers to paddle into the biggest waves to date in the Old Continent. Praia do Norte, Nazar [ ... ]


+ Surfing News

KITEBOARDING

Bruno Sroka will kiteboard from France to Ireland
18/06/2013
article thumbnail

Bruno Sroka will try to connect France to Ireland in a 240 nautical mile (444 kilometers) kiteboarding journey that will last 17 hours.
This will be the first of three projects that will get Bruno Sroka kite crossing the Mediterranean Sea (2014) and the Atlantic Ocean (2015). The former kitesurfing world champion is always setting himself new and intense challenges. He kite crossed the English Channel, he sailed along Israel, Egypt and Jordan for the Gulf of Aqaba project and he crossed C [ ... ]


Kiteracing Oceanic Championships set for Western Australia
13/06/2013
article thumbnail

The inaugural Kiteracing Oceanic Championships will be sailed in Leighton Beach, Western Australia, between 10th-15th December.
The new annual Course Racing event is run by the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) and International Sailing Federation (ISAF). There will be kite racers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America, Great Britain, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Poland, and more, competing at the Kiteracing Oceanic Championships.


+ Kitesurfing News

WINDSURFING

Monfalcone crowns 2013 Raceboard Youth and Masters world champions
18/06/2013
article thumbnail

Giuseppe Zerillo and Pawel Gardasiewicz have been crowned the 2013 Raceboard Youth and Masters world champions, at Marina Julia, Monfalcone.
The final day of windsurfing races saw one more race being run, for a total of six counting for the overall results. Light wind specialists Giuseppe Zerillo and Pawel Gardasiewicz made it clear right from the start that they were in it to win it, taking bullets in every single race.


Antoine Albeau sails to victory at the 2013 PWA Catalunya World Cup
17/06/2013
article thumbnail

Antoine Albeau has conquered the 2013 PWA Catalunya World Cup, in Spain. The final took four hours to be completed, due to the gusty and shifty winds.
Albeau has tasted his inaugural season triumph, on the beautiful shores of Costa Brava, to halt Bjorn Dunkerbeck from claiming the title, for the first time, in three years. The French sailor demonstrated his perfectly timed starts time and time again, along with a phenomenal top speed to blow the competition out of the water.


+ Windsurfing News

BODYBOARDING

The Jeff Wilcox Memorial Classic returns for 16th edition
18/06/2013
article thumbnail

The Jeff Wilcox Memorial Classic has been revived. One of the longest running independent bodyboarding events in Australia will be run for the 16th year, since 1990.
"You don't have to reach the top to be a champion, just be the best you can be". Jeff Wilcox's quote has never been so updated and real. Inspiring the new generation, that is what the event's all about. Jeff was a brilliant sportsman with amazing potential, excelling in bodyboarding and hockey. He passed away with only 14 years  [ ... ]


The King of the Box 2013 debuts in New South Wales
18/06/2013
article thumbnail

The King of the Box 2013 will attract more than 180 of Australia's best wave riders to the Box Beach, in Port Stephens, Australia.
The world's best bodyboarders have been visiting the Box Beach, in New South Wales, but this year the competition will be opened to surfers, too. An innovative contest structure will have a two-week waiting period to ensure the best possible conditions. The two selected windows are September 5th-8th or September 12th-15th.


+ Bodyboarding News