Photo: Beatriz Ryder // WSL
Filipe Toledo disappointed Australian fans frothing on the beach during the final heat of the 2025 Gold Coast Pro, but if there was anyone other than Julian Wilson who deserved the win, it was him. For evidence, look no further than the perfect ten he scored in the round just before.
The reason for that disappointment was Julian Wilson’s dramatic rise to the podium. After entering the competition as a wildcard, he beat out world number one Italo Ferreira in the opening round. That was just the start of a wild ride that took him through Marco Mignot, Miguel Pupo, and Kanoa Igarashi his way to the finals against Toledo, who would ultimately deny Wilson his fairytale ending.
Toledo’s victory was hard won, but his peak moment actually came in a semifinal heat against fellow Brazilian Muniz. Check out the wave in the video below.
