You might have seen it and you might never see it because it has since been eliminated from the WSL’s video reel (that later). After losing to Glen Hall Gabriel Medina made Pete Mel almost swallow his microphone when he said, “Next time Glen Hall says ‘Fuck You’ to me I will teach …” Truth be told, it was Gabriel who had been taught a lesson in how to outwit, outhustle and provoke a more fancied opponent.
To win, Micro capitalised on Gabriel’s two major weaknesses – hotheadedness and hubris – and eventually baited Medina into a foolish interference situation and even more short-sighted post-heat interview.
Micro begun the psychological torture by starting the heat up the point and snagging a wave off the rock. It wasn’t a keeper but it was enough to get Medina thinking and meant that by the time Micro caught his first scoring runner he was throwing a backside finner right in Medina’s face. Meanwhile, on the beach a vocal Aussie crowd went toe-to-toe with the Brazilian balmy army. Gabriel wasn’t in Rio-de-Pipeline now, and the Australian crowd were giving as good as they got – pressure, pressure, pressure!
The crowd had already watched Wiggolly Dantas defeat Parko in controversial circumstances, Josh Kerr go down to Miguel Pupo and Slater lose to rookie, Italo Ferreira. The Brazilians were running riot and who better to stop the siege than the smallest, most underrated surfer in the competition. With precise backside jamming Micro had his 14.23 total within ten minutes and turned the screws on Medina.
When Medina almost crossed the line with an early interference situation Micro knew that the emotionally volatile world champion was in trouble. Second time round it was indisputably an interference, as Gabriel took the bait and came close to spearing a priority-wielding Micro. Medina’s exit strategy from the wave showed a major lack of restraint and his decision to stay on as long as he did also implied he had acquired a terrible sense of entitlement since becoming world champ. Of course the canny Glen Hall, who doubles as a surfing super coach, was going to take off and make the most of the situation. Fellow Irishman and three-time Oscar winner, Daniel Day Lewis would have been proud of how Micro played his part from there on in. He splashed the water, he confronted Medina and he probably told him in no uncertain terms where to go. Micro was selling his case. If there had been any doubt about the infringement call in the judge’s minds, Micro was making it apparent that he felt a grave injustice had taken place.
Micro did nothing Medina wouldn’t have. Last year at Snapper we saw how extensively Medina exploited the rule that allowed the surfer with priority to drop in way down the line. It was in fact Gabriel’s reliance on the rule that likely inspired the judges to change it this year and stipulate that surfers with priority can only exercise their right of way if they are in the so-called priority zone. Post-heat Medina tried to imply that Hall had not been in the priority zone when he dropped in. Micro was clearly in the same take-off area and Medina didn’t really have a leg to stand on, instead he came off sounding like a spoilt brat with a mouthful of sour grapes.
This was a Noa Deane/Surfer Poll moment for Medina who also let fly at Kieren Perrow, suggesting he had done a “bad job” with the contest. Perrow had pulled off a major coup by earning the extension, a move the majority of surfers supported. Medina was a media train wreck, shooting off his mouth without really considering the consequences. The broader surfing world, beyond Brazil, had just begun to embrace the precocious world champion who could party mid-heat, however this outburst strikes a savage blow to his public image.
Medina’s gaffe also creates a major problem for the WSL who are anxious to make a good impression with their first event under the new acronym. The world champion is supposed to be someone you show off like the prized China when special guests come over. The WSL is a business looking to turn a profit. When the Brazilian golden goose starts dropping the F-bomb, CEO’s and media managers start freaking. Potential sponsors would have been told about Gabriel’s appeal to the massive Brazilian market. Many were probably sipping free cocktails in the Taj Mahal when Gabriel got personal with Micro, and Freddie P went rock-hopping. The WSL made their stance plainly apparent by ripping down the post heat interview between Mel and Medina from their publicly accessible reel. A couple of savvy-sites who saw the click-bait potential of the drama had already posted it on their feeds, only to see it instantly disappear. Big brother had stepped in to control history, or at least remove some of the uncomfortable truths.
At the time of writing the disciplinary committee is currently meeting to determine if Gabriel will be fined for bringing the sport into disrepute. Kieren Perrow said he couldn’t comment before the meeting and even Micro was tight-lipped. By tomorrow we will probably know if the WSL are going to make an example of the world champion they desperately want as a pin up boy. Whether they fine him or not, Gabriel is gone from the event and gone from his pedestal as the honourable champ with the boyish charm and immediate appeal.
