BUSTIN' DOWN THE PIER: Aussies Dominate Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure

Only four Australians entered the Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure at Huntington Beach presented by Jacks. Three of them progressed from the first round of the event to occupy the top three spots on the final day. One of those Aussies was Julian Wilson who made a windswept Huntington Beach look like a high performance canvas. A series of vicious backhand hacks punctuated by multiple reverse 360’s easily secured Wilson the victory and set a pace that no one came close to matching. He claimed the $3500 and a free trip to Bali ahead of fellow Aussies Stuart Kennedy and Chris Salisbury. Newport’s Andrew Doheny was the lone American to make it to the final 30 minutes. Although Doheny’s surfing in the earlier rounds hinted that he might pose a significant threat to the Aussie onslaught in the final, he failed to make any impression in the mushy conditions.

Wilson on the other hand, was on fire, and he used the corners created by a onshore wind on a decent south swell to light up the final with effortless aggression and control.

When asked if the Aussies were that much better than the Americans, Wilson had this to say: “I don’t know, well, we probably have a stronger Junior series in Australia, there are a lot more guys that do it. I think it’s a little bit tougher. I was shocked when the top seeds came into the event and they surfed one heat and they were in the quarters. We have to surf like four rounds at home to get anywhere!”

It seems that for Julian Wilson, all the practice at home has paid off.

Final results:
1- Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.10, $3,500, 1,500 pts.
2- Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 15.50, $2,200, 1,290 pts.
3- Chris Salisbury (AUS) 12.25, $1,800, 1,095 pts.
4- Andrew Doheny (USA) 8.50, $1,300, 1,005 pts.