It’s bad for the sport, I’ve been through a lot of judging things but I feel like this is the worst one.… we pretend it’s not happening. It’s happening. It’s bad for the sport.

Gabriel Medina makes bombshell accusation after shock loss at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, “This is the worst judging I’ve ever seen!”

By Derek Rielly

6 months ago

Return of the Black Knight!

For a very long time, Gabriel Medina was the black night of surfing, a boy with a mouth ready for squalls and tantrums and eyes quick to moisten.

Then, following a lightning marriage and subsequent divorce, the estrangement of his coach step-dad Charlie Serrano in 2021 and under the tutelage of Australian Andy King, Gabriel Medina became wildly…likeable.

Medina’s shaper Johnny Cabianca said Andy King’s arrival stilled Medina’s emotional state, elevated his performance.

Cue: a world title at a canter.

All that evaporated, at least for a few moments earlier today, when he was beaten by American rookie Cole Houshmand in a close heat at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Houshman needed, dunno can’t remember, maybe a high six, and gave hell to the running little Winkipop rights and got the score and then some.

In his post-heat interview Gabriel Medina got a little rant.

“Ah, this is funny…this is the worst judging I’ve ever seen,” he told big-wave maven Laura Enever. “It’s bad for the sport, I’ve been through a lot of judging things but I feel like this is the worst one.… we pretend it’s not happening. It’s happening. It’s bad for the sport.

“The last wave was pretty small, I didn’t even paddle… this is sad. yeah, so much… (long sigh) I just feel bad. It sucks.”

Gabriel Medina’s outburst follows a long proud line of Brazilians complaining about losing, notably in El Salvador and at Surf Ranch.

Still, despite the apparent bas, Filipe Toledo’s two world titles were gifted in two-foot waves and Brazilians have won every world title since 2018.

🚨Gabriel Medina em entrevista após perder a bateria:
“ -Isso é engraçado, foi o pior julgamento que eu já vi, é ruim para o esporte…é algo que temos que falar sobre, a gente finge que não está acontecendo mas esta…..isso é triste…”

pic.twitter.com/AM56uZm8kO

— Portal Medina (@portalmedinabr) March 29, 2024

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Laura Enenver holds her own in the pack of world-class big-wave surfers at Fiji's Cloudbreak.

Australian woman Laura Enever stuns world in giant Fiji surf!

By Derek Rielly

6 months ago

“I’m the only woman out here, gotta give it a go…”

One year ago, the former women’s world junior champ Laura Enever laid claim to riding the biggest wave ever paddled into by a woman.

Laura Enever, who is thirty-two and who learned and polished her formidable skills at Sydney’s North Narrabeen, was the second alternate to compete in last year’s The Eddie Invitational, which was won by the on-duty North Shore lifeguard Luke Shepardson.

She didn’t get to write a little history at that event but just south of the action at Waimea Bay, Luke Enever paddled out to the same lefthander where the late Sion Milosky rode the biggest men’s paddle wave back in 2010.

Now, Laura Enever has stunned the surf world by riding, alongside a cavalcade of the world’s best big-wave surfers, a hall-of-fame swell at Cloudbreak, an outer-reef that was once an imperialist American outpost in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands.

In a twelve-foot swell that would’ve given even the men’s Gen Z world champion Filipe Toledo pause, Laura Enever dressed herself in a padded suit and dived headlong into the Pacific, her POV camera giving the viewer at home an unparalleled glimpse into the madness.

She don’t hesitate. Nothing worries or dulls Laura Enever’s vital edge. Bullshit-proof.

Straight into a set. Slapped at the end of a barrel.

Later, kneecapped on a set and wears a monster four-wave pack on her head.

Essential.

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Wild fin thrower Sammy Pupo.

Comment live, Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, “Salvation was bought not by Jesus’ fist, but by His nail-pierced hands”

By Derek Rielly

6 months ago

Sport's hottest live commentary stream. Come and wet dem paws.

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Samsung announces World Surf League partnership citing surfing’s “open mindset to try new things”

By Chas Smith

6 months ago

"A culture of inclusivity that embraces everyone lie at the heart of each sport!"

Happy joy news spread through surfing faces, most recently, with the unexpected announce that exploding telephone conglomerate Samsung would be sponsoring the World Surf League, once again, ahead of big Olympic summer. Surf fans will no doubt remember the Korean megabrand’s first toe water into King Sport almost ten years ago when a pre-troubled Gabriel Medina was given talking surfboard friend.

The World Surf League had only just been rebranded then and hope plus optimistic were in plenty supply.

“Unlike other sports, in professional surfing, the athletes are away from the fans from their country almost the entire year. Even during practice, surfers spend hours out at sea, while their coaches are on the shore. These distances are obstacles to the athletes’ evolution and motivation. With the help of Samsung’s technology, we created the Galaxy Surfboard, a board that will connect Medina with his coach and fans while he’s out in the water, in real time,” said Marcelo Reis, co-president of Leo Burnett Tailor Made statement.

While the talking surfboard friend did not make a major impact, new exciting plans are in the play with Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, declares, “Surfing, skateboarding and breaking, though proudly unique, share a foundation. Open mindset to try new things, the determination to push the limits of what’s possible and a culture of inclusivity that embraces everyone lie at the heart of each sport. These attributes are something we at Samsung are also passionate about, and we are honored to support these three organizations and their athletes and recognize their communities — not only as the countdown to Paris 2024 continues, but as they work to open their sports to the world every day.”

Open mindset to try new things to the moon.

No word how quietly disappeared World Surf League partner Apple feels about dynamic relationship poking.

More later.

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Surfing super-daddy revealed as mystery buyer of $5.1 million Snapper Rocks “sky home”!

By Derek Rielly

6 months ago

Sledgehammer bid of $4.8 million knocks out opposition but doesn't hit reserve!

The Gold Coast’s already stunning property bubble inflated just a little further on Tuesday when surfing super-daddy and beer baron Josh Kerr spent $5.1 million on a middle-floor apartment overlooking D-Bah and Snapper Rocks.

Josh Kerr, who is forty and daddy to the incredible one-day-she’ll-be-world-champ Sierra Kerr, parlayed a fortune made on the back of beer start-ups St Archer and Balter into the whole-floor apartment or “sky home” as realtors call ‘em.

As it happened, the selling agent was Josh Kerr’s big-wave buddy Ryan Hipwood, who told the real estate press,

“It’s probably one of the most iconic sites on the southern Gold Coast, and that was the first resale in there,” said Hipwood. “You just can’t replace a site like that, where all the apartments are front-facing, and the views will never get built out.”

The auctioneer said Josh Kerr came in swinging with a $4.8 million bid, belting his competition out of the game and while it wasn’t quite at the reserve, it was enough to secure first bidding rights and the eventual sale.

“We had a really good crowd there who were curious to see what happened,” said the auctioneer, “but I think the opening bid put a lot of people in their place.”

The joint spans almost three thousand square feet, has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, views south to Byron and north to Straddle and the sorta German engineered appliances (Gaggenau, if you’re wondering) that bring a perverse joy every time you pull open their heavy stainless steel doors.

Josh Kerr, of course, came to prominence seventeen years ago when he unveiled what would come to be called The Club Sandwich (courtesy moi) in a heat with Mick Fanning at Snapper Rocks.

Kelly Slater got so high on it he called it the best move ever in a contest.

What’s rad is it still gets the spectators’ toes tapping and judges jabbing fingers in the eight range on their little scoring tablet.