Once the unlikeliest of Quik Pro Gold Coast champions, Matt Wilkinson found himself on the verge of repeating at Snapper Rocks on Sunday. With surfing as colorful as his character, he eliminated three former World Champions, Adriano de Souza, Joel Parkinson and Gabriel Medina, en route to his second straight Gold Coast Final. It's all the more impressive considering all three of those guys were surfing at the top of their games.
Last year, Wilko's win on the Goldy set in motion the best-ever stretch of his pro career, which ended with a No. 5 finish on the 2016 Jeep Leaderboard. The whole experience made him realize he's somebody who can compete at the very highest level. And while he came up one spot short this time around, he was happy to be on the podium, splashing Corona on his buddy Owen Wright in celebration.