Following his impressive performance at the Quiksilver Pro last year, Mikey Wright has once again been awarded the wildcard into the WCT season opener on the Gold Coast by his major sponsor.
Kid brother to Owen and current women’s world champ Tyler Wright, the strapping young man with the golden mullet will join the Quiksilver Pro trials’ winner in the main draw and match-up against either John John Florence or Jordy Smith in the opening round—which is a pretty exciting prospect. As an added bonus, it could quite possibly be the first time we get to see the Wright brothers surf on the world stage together as Owen stands a good chance of making his comeback to the CT after competing in Newcastle recently.
Known more for his freesurfing prowess than his competitive feats, Mikey grabbed the attention of many last season when he upset reigning world champ Adriano De Souza in the opening round of the Quiksilver Pro with an explosive, rail-heavy approach that worked wonders with the judges. Matching up against De Souza again in the third round, Mikey pinned the champ against the ropes for a second time until ADS picked off a 9.27 in the closing stages of the heat to narrowly scrape past the youngest member of the Wright clan. It was an impressive wildcard effort on every level, with the tattooed youngster taking advantage of the fact he had nothing to lose and surfing accordingly.
Announcing his appointment as the wildcard in 2017 on Instagram, Mikey wrote: ‘Stoked to get the wildcard again this year for the Quiksilver Pro.’
Considering that announcement carries with it the prospect of the exciting natural-footer taking on fellow frontside heavyweights like JJF or Jordy, it’s safe to say he’s not the only one who’s excited. Who knows, we might even get to see the two Wright brothers go head-to-head in March.
