Julian Wilson Takes ASP Prime Nike US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach
Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, ASP Prime Nike US Open of Surfing Champion!
HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (August 5, 2012) – Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, has emerged victorious at the ASP Prime Nike US Open of Surfing over fellow ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) campaigner Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, today at Huntington Beach.
Culminating a week-long battle at the iconic venue in dramatic fashion, the Australian and Brazilian put on an incredible show throughout the Final in front of the tens of thousands in attendance and the massive online audience.
Wilson was lethal throughout the entirety of the Nike US Open of Surfing, continuously posting several of the event’s highest scores. The Australian battled hard on the final day, edging out Hawaiian prodigy John John Florence (HAW), 19, and South American phenom Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, with last-second heroics on his way to the Final.
“I’m over the moon,” Wilson said. “I got a really good start and my hat goes off to Miguel (Pupo) he’s deadly. I knew he was going to be hunting those lefts the whole heat and I just tried to apply a bit of pressure on him. He got that 8.93 and was right back in the heat with plenty of time left. There weren’t that many opportunities out there but it came down to the last minute and I had to just pray there wasn’t one behind it.”
A quick start against Pupo in the Final, as well as an impressive finish, ensured the young Australian would end the day atop the podium (collecting the third ASP win of his young career).
“I felt like I was just building house the whole event,” Wilson said. “I really had to fight for it every heat in the dying minutes and those heats always feel good. I wouldn’t say I peaked in the final but I got a good start and got two good waves.”
Pupo consistently strung together some of the highest scores throughout the entirety of the Nike Lowers Pro including a standout victory over Kelly Slater (USA), 40, in their Semifinals bout, but was unable to overtake Wilson in the Final and finished runner-up.
“I’ve had a great week and I had such amazing heats with Filipe (Toledo) and Kelly (Slater) and I’m learning every heat,” Pupo said. “I beat Kelly, but I knew Julian (Wilson) was going to be a tough one. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good result and I’ve been working hard. It feels good to see the result come and I’ll be working hard for Tahiti.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, was electric throughout the competition, unloading a barrage of amazing aerials including the only perfect 10-point ride in his Quarterfinals win over countryman Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25. Medina launched an inverted backside, full-rotation air and followed up with a finishing maneuver on the inside for his perfect ride. Although appearing destined for a Finals berth, Medina was toppled by eventual winner Wilson in the Semifinals in the dying moments.
“I just went for that one,” Medina said. “That was a hard one and I couldn’t believe I made that, it was pretty sick. I’m stoked that I got a 10. Adriano is such a good surfer and is really hard to beat and I knew that it was going to be a tough heat, Adriano is such a smart competitor, so I just tried to go big and get my waves.”
Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and last year’s Nike US Open of Surfing winner, quietly navigated his way to the final day of competition. The legendary Floridian topped progressive wizard Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 26, in their morning Quarterfinals affair, but was unable to overtake Pupo’s outstanding effort, finishing Equal 3rd.
“I never really felt like I got it going all week,” Slater said. “Miguel (Pupo) and Medina (Gabriel Medina) have been so consistent, getting 9s every heat and they are tough to beat out there. If you’re going to beat them out there you really need to be on you’re a-game. These are the waves they grew up surfing and this is their bread and butter.”
For highlights of the 2012 Nike US Open of Surfing log on to www.usopenofsurfing.com
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org
NIKE US OPEN OF SURFING FINAL
1 – Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.53
2 – Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.76
NIKE US OPEN OF SURFING SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 16.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.33
SF 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.70 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.37
NIKE US OPEN OF SURFING QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.57 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.83
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.00 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 9.84
QF 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.20 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.13
QF 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 8.84 def. John John Florence (HAW) 8.17
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP Prime News
The US Open is a bit of a joke when it comes to scores year after year it really is,,and im sure they didnt want 2 brazillians in the final,,but i think this competition really shows how the scoring system has to change.The scoring system for this event and any other CT event etc is so open to be corrupted whether intentional or not by the judges and whoever else.One of the best ways in my mind is not to come out with the scores during the heat,,give the surfers and the audience an idea who may be leading by some sort of score board with a color system referring to high and low rides underneath each competitors and make it visible for them and the audience,,you have the judges still doing the same system but the scores dont come official during the heat the scores become a color example(an 8 or a 9 or a 10 is green and a 1 or a 2 score is a red)so then everyone can see generally how the heat is going.Then another group of judges can grab the top rides during and after each heat and show the surfers and the audience on the screen using replays and slow motion comparing the top rides and give the Official scores out after the heat for everyone to see as too many times the scores which come out during every heat just dont cut it the scores are hurried and sometimes look corrupt,,and this scale system really is not good enough cmon its 2012 yes i know its hard to score as there are waves involved but thats more of a reason to put some real thought into to getting a better scoring system and make competition surfing so much better.
Longest run-on ever.
oh my god, guys, on the last paragraph i meant despite and not spite, please sorry for my english
first of all congratulations to julian, his surfing is one of the best that i ever seen on these last 5 years since i discovered the webcasting (and i watched 90% of all heats from all the events with more then 5 stars, i don´t know many weeks i watched 2 or even 3 events simultaneasly) along with taj,adriano and taylor knox (not necessarily on that order) they make the most powerful manouvers that we see on wct today
in my opinion (as a fanatic brazzo) that julian´s 9,13 was a little bit higher for what happenned after that phenomenal 1st turn of his, specially comparing with miguel´s big score. But , overall, on the composition of the 2 waves julian won that heat,without any question.
but in the heat against medina he didn´t win. of course is to much difficult for the judges to compare waves from goofys and natural footers, but that medina´s 6,87 was at least 1 point better then his own 7,5, and even that julian´s varial it wasn`t like he
was getting speed for the hole wave and making an exploding finishing air, or even if he we went for the varial directly from the drop and bottom turn….he tried to make those connection turns and was not able to really mark those turns (way better turns then i could ever make on such a small and fast wave, but he is julian wilson after all).
the other score that i didn´t like was medina´s 9.2 against adriano when medina launch a high (but not inverted) 450 degrees slob air. of course that wasnt an inverted tail high air like all airs by medina but come on that was a 10 point ride on any book.
and if you count that for the last two years josh kerr won the majority of his heats with reverse airs tottally focused on the rotation(and sometimes the hight) without any inversion of the tail and any change of grabs,medina should get a 10.
maybe i’m beeing to hard on josh but he could change a little bit, take jadson andre for an example, he won a wct in brazil with tottally inverted tail high exploding airs, was critisized by every one and never won a wct heat again with those airs.
one last thing that i wanna say is that just like a reentry or a snap or a cutback (turns that you do on every single wave)never will bee boring or considered repetitive an reverse aerial will never be boring and in my opinion shouldn´t never be considered as repetitive and kids like filipe toledo and kolohe andino are doing those just because the judges are slowing them in the scores in waves with turns. i don´t know how many times i heard the announciators saying that filipe was beeing repetitive on the air ( was an total of 8 different types of air though) and that they didn`t see powerfull turns on filipe’s waves and i saw several turns with the same violence then julians turns and 2 particular backside reentrys that was like seeing Dane Reynolds surfing.and the kid already show power surfing at big bell´s and big jeffrey`s bay when he advanced to the 4th round and did 4 or 5 big top turns in the biggest set wave of the day.in the heat that he get third and should have advanced as well.
but spite all that i must say that i am more then thankfull for the respect that im seeing by all of the international commentators andannounciators, towards to us brazilians. from the americans, australians and the hawaiians, not only the surfing that we are doing but as persons too. we do use our hearts in the surface of our skin and we don’t like to be criticized by doing it. Rafael Nadal claims every single point that he makes. most of the nba players do the same and i love it.
Thank you guys for the attention sorry for the english
and to be fair with josh kerr, despite his tail inversion that is not as steep as others like medina and julian he does have one of the most beautiful styles on the air, and, soft and easy clean landings
thanks again guys
by the way, thanks to all of the ASP judges, the criteria has been consistent, and getting better at every event. this hole innovation that we are seeing on surfing is blowing all of our minds, viewers, professional surfers, sponsors, and speccially you judges that have this wonderful but difficult work … one day we will see Flynn Novak launching a flinstone flip after a big barrel at Pipe…
trick surfing should be held in a wave pool – its where it belongs….
the semi final score for Julian was an absurd!! Medina did the same trick and got a 6, while Julian got the 8.3 he needed! Judges have to stop protecting US and Australian surfers… Medina was thw best surfer of the whole event!
Julian really got us very frustrated today, but this is competition is about.. sometimes the things don’t go the way we want .. Julian fought very hard and deserved the win.
Miguel, Medina, Felipe and Adriano you did a well done job.. very nice show and you really made this competition a blast to watch.. I did not lost one minute.. congrats all….see you next year…
Such a stand out all event Jules! Really smart surfing, showing the world that you don’t buckle under pressure. Keep your head and get the scores! Keep going man! (Brian… South Africa)