FCS today announced the signing of Julian Wilson in an exclusive deal that will see the young Sunshine Coast superstar riding the FCS system and fins well into the future.
Having already been labelled one of the most technically advanced surfers on the planet makes Julian a perfect fit for the FCS brand. Julian now joins fellow stable mates Kelly Slater, CJ and Damien Hobgood, Jeremy Flores, Adriano De Souza, Owen Wright plus a host of other world class surfers on the FCS team.
For Julian the decision to align with the company that manufactures the world standard fin system was a no brainer. For many years Julian has enjoyed the performance and travel benefits of using a fin system. Aligning with FCS now gives him access to both the FCS X-2 and FCS Fusion systems, as well as the biggest range of technically advanced fins available on the market.
After penning the agreement Julian remarked, “I’ve always enjoyed having the ability to change my fins to suit different boards and conditions. I love switching my fins around and I also enjoy playing with quads and specialty fins. FCS has such a diverse range of fins so I can find the exact set up that will give me the performance I’m hoping for. The added travel convenience is just a bonus”.
As part of the agreement FCS will release a Julian Wilson signature fin early in 2010. The fin will be developed over the next 12 months as Julian experiments with different templates, foils and designs in a range of different wave locations around the world.
JW further commented, “I’m really excited to develop my own fin, I’m going to be travelling a lot this year filming my movie so I’ll have heaps of opportunity to experiment, learn more about my fins and ultimately find out which fin set up works best for me”.
The agreement between FCS and Julian comes at the start of what is gearing up to be one of the great careers in professional surfing. Much like Kelly Slater, and more recently Dane Reynolds, Julian seems destined to have a major influence on the sport as a competitor and an influential figure both in and out of the water. His appeal to the youth market will no doubt spark young surfers around the world to take note of what fins they are riding.
FCS Brand Ambassador and former World Tour surfer Richie Lovett said, “Julian’s talent and popularity is unquestioned. We are obviously happy to align ourselves with such a great surfer but we look for more than just talent. More and more surfers are starting to register the importance of fins and how they affect the overall performance of surfboards.
Julian understands this theory and he wants to get the most out of his equipment which includes his fins and that’s where we come in. Julian’s ability to relay feedback on our fins and test our product will also help keep us at the forefront of fin design”.
Part of the appeal for FCS was Julian’s willingness to think outside the box in both his surfing and also his choice of equipment. Richie continued, “Julian is so versatile in what he rides, from thrusters to quads to longboards, he can basically ride anything and he loves to experiment. It’s that type of approach that promotes progression and that’s an important part of our business”.
Julian has already experienced success since making the switch to FCS, proving he is comfortable with the system and fins. At the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast in March this year Julian defeated Kelly Slater on a new LSD surfboard fitted with FCS X-2 plugs. What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that Julian won the heat riding Kelly’s own signature FCS K2.1 fin.
About FCS: FCS specialises in manufacturing quality surf hardware products including the world renowned X-2 and Fusion fin systems, the most comprehensive range of quality production and retail fins available, plus a wide selection of hardcore surf accessories. All FCS products are designed to enhance the surfing experience through superior design and performance.
