Congratulations! Gabriel Medina just won the final ASP World Championship. Making him both the last ASP champ and the first World Surf League champion. Isn’t that something?
You remember that time that Medina won a world championship, paddled in from his heat at the Pipe Masters and was beach chaired up before his heat even started? Forget Brazilian Storm, this is Brazilian Passion. It was such an honest moment, one an over coached surfer would never have indulged in. He then paddled back out. What scenes.
Brazil is partying right now I think. I’m so thankful to be part of this, a lot of guys have tried to do this and I feel honoured to be the one. Medina
"This is my best day ever. I really want to thank God and my family" Said Medina "I don't know what I was dreaming and now it is reality. I am shocked.
“Brazil is partying right now I think. I’m so thankful to be part of this, a lot of guys have tried to do this and I feel honoured to be the one. I don’t know why it’s me but I’m really happy it is and I’m so proud to be Brazilian.”
He’s also the first Brazilian world champion and a hero who thoroughly deserves being writ in the largest letters. It went with the points but heck he won it afresh today in tough conditions. A feat optimised in slotting an ice cool Pipe barrel under huge pressure in round 3 when his stomach must have been a writhing knot of uncertainty. Then doing the same in round 4. From just this base champions rise unaided.
The surf might have been a scale model of Pipeline at her rearing fierce best, but this title was as much won in the heaviest lips of the South Pacific as the funky sand addled Pipe we’ve watched these last two weeks.
Irrespective of conditions there was no stopping him.
Full story coming soon and if missed anything then watch it HERE
MSW editor. Instagram @edtemperley
