Surfing
Julian Wilson adds style, redefines aerial surfing. Action sports heroes around the world applaud.
On a howling Hawaiian November day last year, Julian Wilson took off on an Off The Wall left, stalled until he spotted the section he wanted, pumped to launch at full pace, and tweaked out the stylish method air you see above. Our man on the sand Ryan Miller took the shot, filed it to Red Bull HQ that night and soon after it floated onto our Instagram.
What came next was unprecedented, as snowboard legends Terje Håkonsen and Todd Richards reposted the shot and gushed in their admiration for Julian's epic style.
"This is hands down the best air I have ever seen done on a surfboard," said Richards, "Julian Wilson cranks a legit crossed up method."
"I've never seen anything like that," says Miller, of the sharing of his shot. "Maybe on @worldsurflols, haha, but nothing legit. Julian has already been going hard since he got to Hawaii, so let's hope he does it again, and that I'm there to shoot it."
Style is nothing new for Wilson, who grew up longboarding the points of Noosa and is a damn fine skateboarder to boot. The tweaked method is ongoing evidence of his dedication to pushing the progression of the sport he loves. A few short weeks after this epic moment JW added to his legacy by claiming the Pipe Masters, the most prestigious trophy in surfing.
Prophetically, Jimmy Wilson wrote an article for Stab Magazine four years ago breaking down the technical elements of the grabs used in surfing. Shot in a wavepool with jetski assist, Julian was one of the surfers used to demonstrate the various manoeuvres, most notably the tweaked method. "Not sure if this is a functional air for surfing," said Wilson, "but it’s ridiculous. Do this and you’re a god."
With guys like Julian Wilson and Jordy Smith leading the charge, the sky's the limit, and the boys are gonna look damn fine doing it.
