Finishing runner-up is often pejoratively referred to as finishing first loser. If there’s nothing sweeter than victory, there’s nothing quite as sour as being so close to victory you can taste it. Case in point: keep an eye on how many six-foot-three 280-pound men on the losing team of this year’s Superbowl LIII turn into sniveling babies when all is said and done.
This year, after putting together an enviable season awash with solid competitive results, Julian Wilson proved unable to knock Gabriel Medina off his horse as he clinched his second world title at this year’s Billabong Pipe Masters.
Jules did everything in his power, making the final, but it was Gabs’ title to lose, and when push came to shove the Brazilian was unwavering.
Had Julian won, the above would have a very different title. The aftermath of his loss, though, goes to show that Jules is a class act. And that finishing second ain’t too shabby.
