Gabriel Medina

Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira[2] (born 22 December 1993) is a Brazilian professional surfer, also the 2014 and 2018 WSL World Champion. Medina joined the world's elite of the World Surf League Tour in 2011, and in his rookie year he finished within the top 12 of the ASP (now WSL) World Tour at the age of 17.[3] In March 2014 he won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.[4] Media sources credit him as being the second person to have executed a maneuver called the "Backflip".[5][6] Medina also became the first person ever to land this move in competition.[7]

Gabriel Medina
Medina in 2018
Personal information
Born (1993-12-22) December 22, 1993
São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
ResidenceMaresias, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight169 lb (77 kg)
Surfing career
Best year1st: 2014 and 2018 - WSL World Champion
SponsorsMatt Nabney, Rip Curl, Guaraná Antarctica, Oi, Audi, Samsung Galaxy, Oakley, Gorilla, FCS traction and fins, Vult, Coppertone, Tokoro Surfboards[1]
Major achievements
Surfing specifications
StanceGoofy
Shaper(s)Johnny Cabianca
Favorite wavesTeahupo'o
Favorite maneuversAerials, Barrels

Life and career

Born in São Sebastião, São Paulo, and raised in the city's district of Maresias, is the son of Simone Pinto Medina and Claudio de Jesus Ferreira.[8] Medina began surfing at age 9; at 11 he won his first national championship, the Rip Curl Grom Search in the category Sub-12, held in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro.[9]

Medina won many Brazilian amateur championships, becoming champion at the Volcom Sub-14, Quicksilver King of Groms, Rip Curl Grom Search, besides conquering the state championship three times. In California, he was second at the Volcom Internacional Sub-14, and in Ecuador, vice-champion of the Amateur World Sub-16 Championship.[9] At 14 years old, Medina was already at the finals of the Paulista Championship, became the Paulista Junior Champion, and surfing the World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-star event Onbongo Pro Surfing 2008 in Ubatuba, where he managed to defeat his idol Adriano de Souza, aka Mineirinho.[10]

In July 2009, Medina won a contract with Rip Curl, and thereafter endeavored to pursue a professional surfing career. Just 10 days later, Medina set a new mark as the youngest male winner of an open age pro competition by taking out the Maresias Surf International in Brazil by the age of 15 (That victory broke one of pro surfing's longest-standing records, held by Australian Nick Wood, who won the 1987 Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach as a 16-year-old).[11]

In 2011 came the sequence of championships that took Medina to share the waves with the top surfers, surfing the WQS 6 Star Prime in Imbituba,[12] and the two WQS 6 Star in France and Spain. He was also victorious in the Pro Junior World Championship, held in French waves.[13] With his prowess and results in such a young age, Medina signed and extension contract with Rip Curl just in the same week of his debut on the 2011 ASP World Championship Tour, by the age of 17, by the mid-season rotation.[14] Medina went on to finish his rookie season with two WCT events wins (Hossegor, France and San Francisco, USA), despite competing only half of the season.[15]

In 2013, Medina went on to win the World Junior Tour (ASP) in 2013, at age 19.[16]

In the 2014 WCT season, by winning the very first event of the season, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Medina became the first Brazilian male surfer ever to win on the Gold Coast, and also the first goofy to win this contest since 2004 and less than two months after recovering from a broken leg injury suffered while surfing in Hawaii.[17][18][19] He dropped to 5th on the rankings after finishing 13th on the Billabong Rio Pro, but re-assumed the pole after winning the Volcom Fiji Pro.[20][21] Medina also won the Billabong Pro Teahupoo, the seventh WCT event of the season in Tahiti, beating in a highly competitive final Kelly Slater.[22] Later in the year, after finishing in 2nd place in the last event of the season at the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Hawaii, Medina went on to become the first ever Brazilian ASP World Champion by the age of 20 (the youngest since Kelly Slater did also in age 20 in 1992).[23]

In 2015, after a sequence of average results, Medina won the Quiksilver Pro France, capturing his sixth WCT event win and his second in Hossegor, France. After beating Mick Fanning and reaching the finals at the last WCT event of the season, the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii, for the second straight year, Medina once again made history, becoming the first Brazilian ever to win the Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing title.[24] With Adriano de Souza winning the other semifinal later and capturing the 2015 World Title (due to Fanning's loss to Medina), the stage was set for a first time ever all Brazilian final at the Pipe Masters. Medina finished runner-up once again as de Souza became the first Brazilian ever to win the Hawaiian CT event.[25] With this second place, Medina finished the 2015 WCT season on a high note, reaching the 3rd place.

On May 14, 2016, during the Oi Rio Pro, Medina made history once again, becoming the first surfer ever to land the move "Backflip" in competition. As a result, Medina got a perfect 10 in all five judges thus beating fellow countryman Alex Ribeiro in a 2nd round elimination heat.[7][26] Medina went on to finish the competition in third place. On June 17, 2016, in the Fiji Islands, Medina won his seventh WCT event, his second in Cloudbreak, in heavy conditions. The win put him as the most victorious Brazilian surfer in the history of the CT only at the age of 22.[27]

In the 2017 season, Medina made history as one of the two (Carissa Moore, on the women's division) first-ever surfers to win a competition in man-made wave pool at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California.[28] Medina later also managed to secure 2 more event wins (Quiksilver Pro France[29] and MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal[30]) reaching 9 WCT wins in his career, by the age of 23. Even though reaching the final event with title chances, Medina finished off the season in second place. With that Medina extends his streak of finishing the season in at least the Top 3 to an incredible four years, since his 2014 world title.

In the 2018 season, Medina's better start than the previous 3 seasons and victories at Tahiti, the wave pool in California, and Pipeline (including a 10-point ride in his quarterfinal heat)[31] lead him onto becoming a two-time world champion, therefore becoming the most accomplished surfer from Brazil, by the age of 24.[32] 2018 also was marked as a historic year for Brazilian surfing, as the country grabbed 9 event wins - Medina (3x), Ítalo Ferreira (3x), Filipe Toledo (2x) and William Cardoso - out of the 11 events on the 2018 Championship Tour calendar, which culminated in Medina's second world title.[33] Also CT surfer Jessé Mendes won the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, becoming the second Brazilian surfer to accomplish the feat, beside Medina himself.[34] Mateus Herdy became the WSL World Junior Champion in Taiwan, joining fellow Brazilians Medina, Adriano de Souza, Caio Ibelli, Lucas Silveira and Pablo Paulino (2x),[35] and also big wave surfers Rodrigo Koxa and Maya Gabeira winning each other the XXL Biggest Wave awards and setting new Guinness world records for largest waves surfed by a male and female surfer respectively.[36][37]

In the 2019 season, after another sleepy start Medina once again claimed another win, his 13th CT event, this time in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. Medina made history being part of the first ever goofy-footers final in J-Bay, against compatriot Ítalo Ferreira and also the first goofy-footer to win this event in 35 years (Mark Occhilupo), and the second ever.[38] In September 9–15, Medina along the top surfers from all over the world competed in Miyazaki, Japan in the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, a mandatory event to be eligible to compete in the 2020 olympic games, also to be held in Japan. Medina competed in the Open Men's division and went on to finish the event with the bronze medal, behind fellow CT surfers Kolohe Andino (2nd) and countryman Ítalo Ferreira (1st). Also, due to these results combined with Filipe Toledo's (9th after withdrawing due to back pain), and in the Open Women's division Silvana Lima's (2nd), Tatiana Weston-Webb's (5th) and Tainá Hinckel's (25th), Brazil went on to win the gold medal, the first since the 2000 ISA games.[39] Less than a week later, Medina captured his 14th CT event win, the third win at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch (thus winning all three individual competitions ever had on this site at the time), in the Freshwater Pro, climbing the rankings and reaching the first position. [40] Medina didn't do well during the European Leg and ended up eliminated in the Round of 16 in Quicksilver Pro France and MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal. With one event left to go, he is second in the ranking, right behind Ítalo Ferreira.

Medina caused controversy in the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters by doing what in the surfing community is known as a "Brazzo move" and dropped in on his fellow competitor. This led to his actions being labelled unsportsmanlike.[41]

The brazilian surfer is also selected to represent his country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, alongside 2019 WCT Champion Italo Ferreira. The Olympic Games are scheduled to start on July 24 until August 9.[42]

Surfboards

Medina has been with his shaper Johnny Cabianca since 2008.[43] Johnny Cabianca, a Brazilian living in the Basque Country, is one of the world's most renowned surfboard shapers.[44] Medina is using about 100 surfboards a year.[45] Cabianca who previously shaped under the Spanish label Pukas, started his own brand in 2015. Medina's first victory on a Cabianca Surfboard was the Quiksilver Pro France 2015.[46]

Results

Victories

World Championship Tour
YearEventVenueCountry
2019 Freshwater Pro Lemoore, California United States
2019 Corona Open J-Bay Jeffreys Bay, South Africa South Africa
2018 Billabong Pipeline Masters Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii United States
2018 Surf Ranch Pro Lemoore, California  United States
2018 Tahiti Pro Teahupo'o Tahiti  French Polynesia
2017MEO Rip Curl Pro PortugalSupertubos beach, Peniche Portugal
2017Quiksilver Pro FranceHossegor, Aquitaine France
2016Fiji ProTavarua Fiji
2015Quiksilver Pro FranceHossegor, Aquitaine France
2014Billabong Pro TeahupooTahiti French Polynesia
2014Fiji ProTavarua Fiji
2014Quiksilver Pro Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland Australia
2011Rip Curl SearchSan Francisco, California United States
2011Quiksilver Pro FranceHossegor, Aquitaine France
Special Events
YearEventVenueCountry
2017 Future Classic Lemoore, California United States
World Qualifying Series
Year Event Venue Country
2012Nike Lowers ProSan Clemente, California United States
2011Super Surf InternationalImbituba Brazil
2011Sooruz Lacanau ProLacanau France
2011San Miguel ProZarautz, Basque Country Spain
2009Maresias Surf InternationalFlorianópolis, Santa Catarina Brazil
Juniors Tour
Year Event Venue Country
2013HD World Junior ChampionshipFlorianópolis Brazil
2011Airwalk Lacanau Pro JuniorLacanau France

WSL World Championship Tour

Tournament201120122013201420152016201720182019
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast DNP 25th 13th 1st 13th 13th 3rd 13th 5th
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 25th 13th 13th 9th 5th 13th 13th 3rd 5th
Margaret River Pro - - - 5th 25th 9th 25th 5th[47] 17th
Oi Rio Pro DNP 25th 3rd 13th 13th 3rd 9th 5th 5th
Corona Bali Protected - - 13th - - - - 9th 17th
Corona Open J-Bay DNP - - 5th 5th 5th 3rd 5th 1st
Billabong Pro Teahupoo DNP 5th 13th 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd
Surf Ranch Open - - - - - - - 1st 1st
Quiksilver Pro France 1st 5th 2nd 5th 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 13th
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal 13th 2nd 25th 13th 5th 13th 1st 3rd
Billabong Pipeline Masters 5th 9th 13th 2nd 2nd 13th 5th 1st
Rip Curl Search 1st - - - - - - - -
O'Neill Coldwater Classic - 5th - - - - - - -
Fiji Pro - 2nd 25th 1st 13th 1st 13th - -
Hurley Pro at Trestles 13th 9th 13th 5th 3rd 13th 13th - -
Rank 12th 7th 14th 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 1st
Earnings $180,750 $146,750 $120,000 $431,500 $335,500 $281,750 $374,750 $473,200 $330,000

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Gabriel Medina". Audi. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  3. "Gabriel Medina". Surffcs.com. Surf FSC. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  4. "Gabriel Medina Wins 2014 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast". Surfing Magazine. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  5. "O voo de Gabriel Medina, o jovem ídolo do surfe brasileiro". Veja.abril.com.br. Veja.
  6. "Gabriel Medina completa manobra 'impossível' no Havaí: o backflip". Globo Esporte. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
  7. "Air War Heats Up at Oi Rio Pro". World Surf League. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  8. "Marcello Serpa cria marca para surfista que é fenômeno mundial". Ccsp.com.br. CLUBE DE CRIAÇÃO DE SÃO PAULO. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  9. "Top 5 Surfistas Mundiais". Surfworldpt.wordpress.com. World Press. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  10. "Adriano de Souza é destronado na estréia no Onbongo Pro Surfing". Beachbite.com. Beach Byte. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  11. "THE 100 GREATEST SURFERS OF ALL TIME". surfeuropemag.com. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  12. "17-Year Old Gabriel Medina Wins 6 Star Prime Brazil". Tracksmag.com. Track Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  13. "Gabriel Medina, paulista de 20 anos: fenômeno do surfe mundial". Tiooda.com.br. Tio Oda.
  14. "Teen Surfing Sensation Gabriel Medina Signs New Rip Curl Deal In Same Week As His Official ASP World Tour Debut". Ripcurl.com. Rip Curl. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  15. "De hiperativo a fenômeno, Gabriel Medina vira o anjo do Brasil no surfe". globoesporte.globo.com. Globo Esporte. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  16. "Medina Claims Men's ASP World Junior Title". worldsurfleague.com. World Surf League. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  17. Jarvis, Craig. "Gabriel Medina Wins the 2014 Quicksilver Pro, Gold Coast". Stabmag.com. Stab Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  18. "Brazilian Gabriel Medina has world title in his sights after winning Quiksilver Pro". www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au. Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  19. "Gabriel Medina vence o WCT da Gold Coast". oglobo.globo.com. O Globo. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  20. "Gabriel Medina Wins 2014 Fiji Pro". Surfingmagazine.com. The Enthusiast Network. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  21. "Medina Wins Fiji Pro, Takes WCT Rankings Lead". worldsurfleague.com. World Surf League. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  22. "Medina Wins Billabong Pro Tahiti in Epic Conditions". worldsurfleague.com. World Surf League. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  23. "Congratulations Gabriel Medina, 2014 ASP World Champion!". World Surf League.
  24. "Medina Wins 2015 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing". worldsurfleague.com. World Surf League. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  25. "De Souza Clinches the 2015 World Title and Pipe Masters Crown on Finals Day". World Surf League. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  26. "Medina faz história ao acertar backflip, tira nota 10 e avança à 3ª fase no Rio". Globo Esporte. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  27. "Gabriel Medina vence o Fiji Pro batendo o líder do ranking na final". World Surf League. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  28. "World Surf League Holds Groundbreaking Test Event at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch". World Surf League. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  29. "Gabriel Medina Rules Again at Quiksilver Pro France". World Surf League. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  30. "Gabriel Medina Claims Second-Straight Victory in Portugal". World Surf League. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  31. "How Medina Commanded Pipeline". World Surf League. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  32. "Gabriel Medina é bicampeão mundial vencendo o Pipe Masters no Havaí". World Surf League. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  33. "Brasil Takes the Day (And Year)". World Surf League. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  34. "Jesse Mendes Wins 2018 Vans Triple Crown". World Surf League. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  35. "Mateus Herdy Claims World Junior Championship In Taiwan". World Surf League. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  36. "Koxa on His Winning Nazaré Wave: It Was a Present from God". World Surf League. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  37. "Maya Gabeira Sets New GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title For The Largest Wave Surfed Unlimited (Female)". World Surf League. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  38. "Finals Day Post Show: History Made at Jeffreys Bay". World Surf League. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  39. "Brazil Wins Historic Team Gold at 2019 ISA World Surfing Games presented by Vans". International Surfing Association. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  40. "Finals Day Post Show: Peterson and Medina Rock the Ranch". World Surf League. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  41. "Surfing 'disgrace' loses world title in brutal dose of karma". au.sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  42. "Gabriel Medina and Italo Ferreira Are Going to the 2020 Olympics". Surfline. 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  43. "New Champ, New Boards: Medina's 2015 Quiver". World Surf League. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  44. http://www.redbull.com/us/en/surfing/stories/1331721578245/surfboard-shapers
  45. http://www.oakley.com/en/blog/johnny-cabianca-unintended-story-surfboard-shaping-gabriel-medina/
  46. http://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/152641/magic-board-quiksilver-pro-france-medina
  47. "WSL to Complete Canceled Margaret River Event at Uluwatu". Surfer.com.
Achievements
Preceded by
Mick Fanning
World Surf League World Champion (men's)
2014
Succeeded by
Adriano De Souza
Preceded by
John John Florence
World Surf League World Champion (men's)
2018
Succeeded by
Incumbent
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