Five-time championship tour winner and Tokyo Olympian Julian Wilson is making a comeback to competitive surfing after an absence of almost four years.
The 36-year-old has been awarded a wildcard for next year's Challenger Series, where he will launch a bid to make the top-tier tour again.
Winner of the 2014 Hawaiian Triple Crown among his title haul, the Queenslander finished as world No.2 in 2018 but stepped away following the Olympics in 2021 for mental health reasons.
Wilson was famously in the water in an event in Jeffreys Bay in South Africa in 2015 and tried to help as fellow Australian Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark.
In a lengthy Instagram post the father of three said his competitive fire was still burning.
"This time three years ago I was sitting in a hotel quarantine room in the aftermath of my Tokyo Olympic campaign, watching my dream as a WT surfer fade away while heading home to be the best partner and Dad that could be during a very challenging time (mentally)," Wilson wrote.
"I don't regret my decision for a second and I love my wife and family to bits. Nothing in life compares to a healthy relationship at home and the opportunity to raise a family.
"The past 6 months I've had competing firmly at the forefront of my mind. It's time for me to give it another crack. My hope is to get a WSL wildcard for the 2025 challenger series.
"I'll be in it for the fun of the challenge and the healthy lifestyle surfing is. I love surfing and I'm still too damn competitive at heart to not give it another shot."
Wilson's first event is this week in the EJE men's Qualifying Series in Newcastle.
