Billabong Pro Teahupoo 2014

I hate Gabriel Medina

 

Noooooooo!

 

im gonna kill myself!!! Gabriella medina!! Uuuuuggghhh

 

I was pulling for Kelly but I don't understand all the Medina hate. I think the guy is amazing and will probably win multiple world titles. Everyone talks about style and attitude but I don't see it. He's just a kid and he's only getting better. And no one is faster on a wave than he is.

 

Ok, I watch a lot of surf vids. A lot. But can the vets who've witness (and rode) far more barrells please tell me how monumental that barrell ride would've been for Kelly if the spit from hell didn't lift his board? From my perspective, he aced that redonk drop, got in the high line, then the spit was unsurmountable. Can't say he failed on any part of it. Was too pitted I guess at the world's toughest pit.

Thoughts? If he made it out, where would that 10 rank?

 

It would have been textbook Slater... But he was just too deep

 

that would have been the wave of the event for sure.

 

Textbook as in Top 20 rides ever or textbook as in that dude is the best who's ever lived and it's a 10 but just one of 100 career 10s?

 

Props to Medina and helluva contest overall.

 

yea, he surfs like a robot...no style or grace.

 

There is that something that is missing...great surfer, but...

JJF comes out of an absolutely insane barrel and looks like he was in there having a sandwich. Style...

KS, like a master sushi chef, carves it up 18 different ways and it always looks delicious. Craftsmanship...

Owen comes down the face like a viking. Power...

Kai hurls himself into the mouth of the dragon, gets eaten, then goes right back again. Stones...

Medina. Surfs to win contests, and celebrates his victory after every wave. Prob takes selfies in the tube. Has a sort of Brazilian Justin Beiber-ness about him. Kid can shred, still can't pull for him.

 

John John vs kelly heat was the final really. Best heat so far this season along with best contest of the season. Watching a contest like that is worth waisting 6 hours of your day.

 

watched all of it, best event i ever witnessed. politics and agendas should stay out of the tour, slater wins this event otherwise.

 

baloney. medina is the best surfer in the world.
(btw i predicted this...)

 

Gotta remember that kelly started winning titles before the tour had any sort of media coverage outside of magazines. **** man, I didnt even have the internet until he won his 6th world title.

Im gonna throw it out there and say its my perception that much of the surf world treated him the same as they do Medina today, except today opinionated douchecanoes sit their ass infront of computer screens and just spew hate because they have a hard time doing anything else. I'm no fan of medina, and quite frankly I think his style in the bigger surf is sub-par, however he won that event fair and square.

I don't find much in enjoyment in the thought of competitive surfing, but hot damn the asp making the few weeks of football less attractive with the drama, good webcasts, and good waves of the last few events ive watched.

 

Safest you mean. Looks like the new tour norm in heavy waves will be 'play it safe' like the old 'three to the beach days'. Judging criteria needs to be tweaked to reward bravery.

 

This is really a perfect summation on so many points. props & well said, the cultural alliterations/allusions are dead-on !

 

try as i may i don't have a reply for this. but 2 things stand out...

the kid steps on the accelerator quite well at quite the right time which the others also do but not with
his consistency.

the other thing is i root for the guy who makes me smile the most. medina does this. jjf also.

 

How did politics play a role in their heat? The judges told Kelly to not make his best wave, screw up and lose priority and let Medina catch the biggest wave of the heat?

 

In the end, that's pretty much what it boils down to...get behind the guy you want for whatever reason. I watched most of this comp (when it wasn't buffering) and just thought he took too safe a route but he won so it paid off.