Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/122153
closeup Previous page, right and below: Julian competing in California last year; the young surfer loves the fact that he gets to travel; riding big waves at Teahupo'o, Tahiti. considers his home event, being the closest the tour gets to his real home breaks at Noosa. For the fifth year in a row he's riding a pink board designed by his mum, Nola Wilson, which is pretty cool, says Julian. "Mum's been drawing designs on my board for the past 10 years. I didn't always think it was so cool, though," he laughs. When Julian was much younger his mum survived breast cancer and it's only now that he's older that Julian is able to appreciate how fortunate his family is to still have Nola around. "When I was five or six years of age I didn't really understand what was going on. But as I got older I understood what she went through and now I have the opportunity to raise some awareness of such a horrible disease and try to raise some money – and get pretty in my pink board shorts." Inspired by other sportspeople, especially Matt Hayden, who uses a pink cricket bat, Julian decided to do what he can to raise awareness about breast cancer and is an Ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and their Ride for a Cure campaign. He's managed to raise $100,000 for the foundation over the past five years since he became involved. Hoping to extend his campaigning further, Julian is happy that Aussie pro surfer Mick Fanning is also involved now, and the pair donned pink Hurley boardies and pink surfboards – designed by Nola – at the Quiksilver Pro event on the Gold Coast in March. Julian's sponsor, Hurley, has jumped on board, too, turning some of its surfwear a pink hue to raise money for the cause and, importantly, spread the word, says Julian. "This year I've had some big help with Mick supporting it as well," Julian says. "Together we should be able to raise a few eyebrows and make people take notice of what we're doing and what we're trying to achieve." Julian, who was named the 2001 Triple Crown Rookie of the Year, comes across as an easygoing, family-focused guy who isn't only getting noticed for his choice of board shorts. Former world Fast Fact This image: Brian Bielmann/Red Bull Content Pool; and inset: Trent Mitchell/Red Bull Content Pool When Julian was 21 he took a year off from professional surfing to travel and make a biopic called Scratching the Surface. 11