"Medina underwent an MRI on both knees, and a grade 2 to 3 injury of the MCL of the left knee was diagnosed."

And, welcome readers, to another chapter in the Kardashian-esque life of three-time world champ Gabriel Medina. 

After making a sensational return to the pro tour following a six-month break for “emotional issues’ after splitting from wife Yasmin Brunet, banking semi-final finishes at El Sal and G-Land, Medina has pulled out of J-Bay with a tweaked knee. 

“Gabriel Medina hit his knee on his board while competing on the second day of the Oi Rio Pro,” wrote the WSL. “This Saturday afternoon, the 25th, Medina underwent an MRI on both knees, and a grade 2 to 3 injury of the MCL of the left knee was diagnosed. Medina will return for medical evaluation in two weeks for a more accurate prognosis. In this scenario, Gabriel Medina will be out of the JBay event, in South Africa.” 

 

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Missing J-Bay and, likely, Teahupoo, makes it impossible for Medina to scoot into the top five and defend his title at Lowers in September. 

It ain’t his first time under the knife this year. 

Back in April, Medina had surgery for a deviated septum, an operation where the bone and cartilage dividing the space between the two nostrils is straightened. 

Many, many causes, hits to the nose, growth defects, living the high life with an emphasis on tropane alkaloid and stimulants (see: Daniella Westbrook as cautionary tale), although Medina is notable for an ascetic lifestyle therefore non-applicable.  

Prior to quitting the tour, busting up his wife and having his septum straightened, Medina had endured myriad feuds involving his immediate and extended family. 

Much head bang.

But where does heavy metal rank on your list of preferred music? Near the top butting up against 1990s-era pop punk or languishing at the bottom right below free form jazz? Me? I never really went through a “metal phase” as grunge really took over my teenage listening soundscape but have always appreciated from afar. You may recall that I was just in Copenhagen during COPENHELL and felt lightly jealous of all the men in black denim vests festooned with patches of their favorite acts such as Lamb of God and Metallica.

Well, as fate would have it, I just stumbled upon a list from the online metal publication Loudwire featuring various metal heads that find respite amongst the waves. There are some you may already know, like the aforementioned Metallica’s Rob Trujillo and Kirk Hammett. Perry Ferrell, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Eddie Vedder and Jon Foreman (from Switchfoot) are listed, though I would consider none of them “metal” per se.

The semi-surprising, I suppose, are Des Fafara from DevilDriver, Chuck Billy from Testament and Randy Blythe from Lamb of God.

Much head bang.

The question now is, which should the World Surf League commission to play on the cobbled stone of Lower Trestles during the thrilling final’s day?

Discuss.

Stalinist.

I was treated to a lovely news segment, this morning, from Atlanta, Georgia’s CNN. The 24-hour news network has fallen on harder times, viewership numbers plunging as competitor Fox News maintains a steely grip on ratings, but it was once groundbreaking, even synonymous with the very concept of “news.”

A recorder of history as it is occurring in the very moment. The events which will someday be codified into books and taught to our children’s children’s children’s children.

As it happens, our World Surf League should be entirely worried about its place in the aforementioned history for the lovely news segment I was treated to featured wave pools and was filed under the title “Are artificial surf parks ready for competition?”

It began with the footnote that the first wave pool in history was built in 1870 by the “mad king” Ludwig II of Bavaria. He, allegedly, dug a pit under his beautiful castle, filled it with water and zapped it with electricity. The narrator then discusses artificial wave pools growing in popularity through the 1980s, the sort that lap against children floating on tubes at Disneyworld etc., to our modern high-performance surf iteration.

Off we then whisk to Gipuzkoa, Spain, the location of Wavegarden’s private R + D facility to meet founder and CEO Josema Odriozola. He chats about the various technologies they are employing, making better air sections for Brazilian surfers (since they are the best at that sort of thing), better barrels, better faces for turns. The well-spoken Aritz Aranburu is introduced and says, “I really think the waves are good enough to hold events. I think it is going to be interesting to do events in places with no ocean.”

The storyline returns to the narrator, who says, “While wave pools will never replace the ocean, there is the potential for a new kind of contest.” And takes us to the Switzerland which “has hosted the first competition.” According to Odriozola it was “a big success” with the surfers knowing that the waves would be there for them, no ocean going flat, no waiting etc. Aranburu declares the only thing left is to make the waves bigger.

And scene.

Not only no mention of Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch there in Lemoore, California, but not mention of the Surf Ranch Pro which, not once but twice, hosted World Surf League Championship Tour competitions.

Those who were forced to watch the Surf Ranch Pro in real time likely felt that history would not treat it kindly but for it to be disappeared from the annals in a Stalinist purge?

A pure and vicious repudiation of the World Surf League.

Ouch.

Watch here.