Julian Wilson Wins Rip Curl Pro at Supertubos

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JULIAN Wilson wins the Rip Curl Pro Portugal over Gabriel Medina, against the odds, the buzzer, and most spectators' expectations. The final looked done and dusted. Julian Wilson needed a plus 7 and hadn't managed more than a 2 pointer in the 20 minutes since his first score. At almost the last second a bump bubbled up from under the rip, he pulled under lip, forced his way through the curtain and threw a claim with his right arm. Realising there was more to be done he put in two safe-ish turns and then threw his fists skyward. No-one knew the result for what felt like an age, the judges were presumably busy wearing out the rewind button. Finally it dropped, he was the winner. Gabriel looked shocked, his family stunned into silence for the first time all week. Julian Wilson had beaten Gabriel, the form surfer of the event and the winner of their single previous World Tour final match-up. Ignore the rest of this article and check out all the heats here. What are your thoughts on the day's action? © 2013 **That face wanted to win and the judges agreed**

"I'm overwhelmed," Wilson said. "I lost to Gabriel on the buzzer last year in France and to beat him back again on the buzzer, I don't even know how to describe the feeling. He was trying to hold onto the lead in the end there, he pretty much did what I did in the final last year in France. 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," Wilson said. "Especially after my other wave that I got a 7 on, but at the same time the crowd was pretty quiet. I think there are a lot of Portuguese supporters out there. I didn't feel that confident walking up the beach; Wilko (Matt Wilkinson) had my back but he wasn't 100% sure. Then they just read the score out and I was so happy." © 2013 Rip Curl

Julian Wilson verses Gabriel Medina was in effect a dead rubber final - as far as the title race was concerned. The interest in the title race ended with Joel Parkinson's exit. Joel is a canny competitor, he had a tough route to the final through John John Florence and Gabby Medina. With Kelly and Fanning's exit, every heat win was an inch of blue water at the top of the table. Two years ago he had the lead until Pipe, eventually falling to Fanning who gained momentum late in the season. 2012 had looked like Kelly was going to do the same and a win against Medina would guarantee Parko another solid keeper. That wasn't to be. Parkinson was unable to find a rhythm against Medina in the semis. "Conditions were just terrible then," Parkinson said. 'This one rip went through and kind of messed it for a while and that was it. When we watched it earlier, there were barrels out there, it was kind of like before, but it seemed as soon as the tide started pushing it just turned bad. It's a bummer, but that happens sometimes and you just have to roll with it. "An Equal 3rd is good. I'm really enjoying myself. If you had told me six weeks ago that between Trestles and now, I'd have two second places and a third, I would have probably taken it instead of a 9th and all that so bring on Santa Cruz." © 2013 LD

Owen Wright looked so dominant until Julian Wilson snatched a score then a barrel to boost combo. "It's pretty hard to take. I shouldn't have let that happen under priority, I should know a little better. It's the same as I did to Fanning yesterday and now the boot's on the other foot." © 2013 LD