Gabriel Medina is suspended God-like, bolt upright, three feet above the water, an index finger raised in glory.

There is no other sign of life, or movement, just bilious clouds in the background, a rough-hewn ocean line below his feet and Gabe, centre of the world, still, but moving. His board trails six feet behind, but still in sync, shadowing its pilot. It’s an image that will become one of the iconic frames of the 2024 Olympics.

Surfers around the world, even Australian ones, felt proud. This is what we do. This is how we do it. The sport is different. Remarkable. Unique. And, well, so is Gabriel Medina. The question is, why has it taken the non-Brazilian surfing world about 15 years to come to that conclusion? Has he changed, or have we? 

“He’s probably going to make sure some citizen is okay out there. That’s what I’ve learned about Gabe. He’s top-notch with the people,” said Mason Ho in the 2023 Search movie, The Kangs. “He’s always asking to help strangers. I was trying to think of the last time I asked a stranger if I could help with their groceries, and I was ‘like, man, I love this guy.’”

In that film, we watched as Mason fell under the spell of Gabriel Medina. Not the surfer – the movie was skunked in terms of waves – but Mase’ was beguiled by the human.

All modern pros can fly but few can reach the altitudes regularly plundered by Medina. Photo: SA Rips.

After more than a decade in the spotlight, the surfing world might also be coming around to Mason’s way of thinking. Back in 2012, a time before selfie sticks, vapes, mid-lengths and driverless cars, a Surfer Hot 100 profile titled ‘An Inconvenient Hero’ posed this question; ...