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…”— Portal Medina (@portalmedinabr) March 29, 2024
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Gabby bitch should just go ahead and transition so he can win every time against the girls.. then we don’t have to listen to him cry anymore Wah wah wah!!!!!!!
Gabby is a little bitch, has always been a little bitch, and she I’ll always be a little bitch!! KKKK wah wah the wsl finally realized catering to the brazzos will not make them any money, so now their inflated scores for ugly surfing are no more.. f-off brasil
Would be interesting to know what are the experience requirements to become a judge. Seems like the kind of job posting that asks for a masters degree while paying minimum wage. Never going to get top level talent in the booth, but then again, I think even if Kelly, JJF, and Medina retired tomorrow and joined the judges’ panel there would be still be scoring controversy. Carving 3’s would finally get at least one high mark.
oh shit , Gabby what have you done to the reputation of the WSL…….”Worst judging ever” now on the front page of the 1# Melbourne media, The Age……https://http://www.theage.com.au/sport/wor...
If Medina was winning and had priority – and he let Houshmand catch a wave that offered ANY POSSIBILITY of getting a score that would win the heat, it is Medina’s mistake.
That’s the point. It had NO chance of winning the heat. Medina was right
He’s the Donald Trump of surfing. He lost. It wasn’t rigged.
you have to go back to the ewing/Pittard last wave…Ethans last wave was soooo overscored probably double the score it should have been…..Gabby has good reason to complain , but by doing so will probably have a biased judging towards him …..forever……
it’s really interesting to see now JJF/Gabby seem to be just not quite winning heats…..Does the tour want them?
You’re not legitimately suggesting that it’s rigged?
For all the bullshit, it’s just not that smart & far to PC/woke
The product that it is, is what we’ve got until Dirks out & someone’s willing to pay to control broadcasting (good luck) & contractually can critique & commentate to their discretion.
I mean, can you image the NRL controlling the media on RL in Australia? It’d be piss weak.
Wsl is effectively a communist sport
The answer to radical change is someone like red bull ( cats piss, I know ) but they’re one of the only ones with the cash & potential inclination to take on & radically change the product.
Take the drink aside, given what they do in other extreme sports including F1, I’d say they would be a godsend
I am suggesting that since there is subjective judging , there are favorites , it’s always been the same!
Slight bias’s sure, always. But I don’t think anyone says there’s a push for a white WC from the US or anyone specifically as a directive.
It’s a nice rant / vent / conspiracy but it doesn’t happen to that degree.
WSLs desire to overly sanitise something that never was or should be, is why we despise its process & contrived appearance.
slight bias is enough , and there is no directive…..but there is the flavor of the year, and also inna lot of comps.
the WSL chose to only have positive commentary , so there can be no negativity , which is the only global sport in the world where there is a specific directive…we the p[eople call it the wall of positive noise!
I know. Im just surprised someone isn’t prepared to tell them internally that they’ve hamstung themselves.
I worked for a global US corp for 10+ years & they tend to be extremely inward facing models there from my experience
Ie. ignore their clients & competitors & concentrate on their set objectives with a seemingly ‘fingers crossed’ approach.
So I can appreciate where this business attitude comes from, I’ve just not seen it spur growth, even within billion $ corp entities where growth tends to come via acquisition
Camera Drop. — 📸💣
No problem with the result or Meds speaking his mind.
If they’re true to form though, the WSL will now fine & 0r sanction Gabriel.
The small waves open it up to the rookies & lower ranked guys making for the comp to feel like a qs, hence the results with only 2 expected surfers in the quarters being E &
Grif.
Conditions really do have a huge impact on the look of pro surfing. In perfect waves it’s a
spectacle & typically the best surfers win. In shit, it’s well, shit & a shit show & always has been.
I’d it be ‘Dia do julgamento’ and they are Catholics and praying for an end to the pro-surfing wsl madness
Totally agree. Don’t always agree with surfer complaints, and I’m not a Medina fan by any measure, but Cole got the highest wave score of the heat on a mediocre wave that was definitely not the best wave of the heat. Cue the next heat and guys were ripping harder and better waves and scores were less.
this is the one time I think Gabby is absolutely right to whinge
Kelly is in 33rd with only one heat win this year. Good chance he ends his career with a mid year cut on a gifted wildcard slot. Rough stuff. Should have called chas out for that no more heat wins claim on the broadcast and dropped the mic after his one heat win of the season. Not exactly going out on top but better than what’s coming I fear.
The WSL gave Gabe a losers interview “on the glass” and put it in the condensed heat replay. Has to sting Gabe a little more getting soaked by Cole like that. Has a competitor been more drenched by spray in a heat? Cole literally through buckets on Gabe. I’ll give him the score just for that. Makes the whinging seem a little more pathetic too. Nice to see the WSL embracing the controversy. Whining about unfairness will always be a part of professional sports, especially judged comps.
Who ya’ll tuning in for on a tour without Gaby, Pip, JJF and Jack?
Easy, EE.
Just one guy? Lots of shit to wade through for a couple heats.
John. When no Gabby, always John
John who? John John Florence ain’t sticking around this clown tour
Ramzi and Pittar both screwed as well, won their heats. The commentators are gushing about crap waves as if they’re watching video of double overhead proper Bells.
Ramzi and LOB have been underscored in every heat they surfed this year. Brazzo head judge is even worse than Priatmo
That’s a lot of words to say “priority mistake.”
Soo robb-ed!
Gabe was ripped. I’m not big on overscoring airs but that full rotation Gabe did (which was pretty good) didn’t even make his top two.
Hey WSL!
Gives us a final with a four men heat!
Ewing, Cibillic, Housemand and… anyone else!
Let’s see variation and progressive surfing!
How much in the heat score will count laybacks and tail slidings?
And Gabby’s floaters
Oh for sure Gabby’s floaters how can I forget…
Think Yago, Miggs, Sam, Italo, Fil (don’t let us forget abou JBay overhead twice) evn Caio all have good floaters too… tail slidings? Pfff… easy… but most all… I think they all have much more in they’re arsenal…
And talking about the other things… what the guys above had, humm?…
Where can I get a physical copy of reports from hell? Everywhere I search online is audio books only.