Gabriel Medina Claims Maiden Elite ASP Tour Victory at Quiksilver Pro France
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, fresh face to the elite ASP Top 34 after the September rotation, partially vindicated the new ASP system today, collecting his maiden ASP World Title event win at the Quiksilver Pro France.
LA GRAVIERE, Hossegor/France (Wednesday, October 12, 2011) – Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, newcomer to the elite ASP Top 34 after September’s rotation, has secured his inaugural ASP World Title victory today, taking out the Quiksilver Pro France over Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in high-performance three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at La Graviere.
Stop No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro France culminated today in exciting fashion as the next generation of ASP World Title contenders announced their intentions on the world stage.
Medina, in only second event as an ASP Top 34 member, cut a swathe through the world’s best surfers, securing three of the top five highest single-wave scores of the event en route to his emotional win.
“This is the best feeling ever,” Medina said. “I beat some great guys on the way to Final and I’m very stoked now. I want to thank all my friends and family and god for their support. It has been an amazing week for me. Just two years ago, I was here competing in the King of the Groms and I won that event and now I’m here in the main event and I’ve won it. It doesn’t seem real.”
Opening their final clash with a strong 7.83 for a full-rotation forehand aerial, Medina was put on the back foot by an in-form Wilson until the dying moments, when the young Brazilian blasted several high-risk maneuvers on a lengthy lefthander to secure a 9.17 and regain the lead.
“The start of the heat was slow and it was going high tide so it was a challenge,” Medina said. “It was a fun heat. It was a hard hat as well. Julian (Wilson) is an incredible surfer and I know he wanted to win very badly. I knew I needed a big score on that final wave and I had to throw everything I had to get it. I’m very happy right now.”
Wilson built momentum throughout the final day of competition, dispatching of the tour’s heavy hitters and posting some impressive scores. The young Australian’s Runner-Up finish today marks a career best and is indicative of his recent run of improvements amongst the world’s elite (5th and the 3rd previously).
“Everything feels good and I’m very happy to be here on the podium,” Wilson said. “It’s been a great event for me and congrats to Gabriel (Medina) for his incredible run here in France. I have so many amazing memories of watching this event as a kid, seeing Andy (Irons) and Kelly (Slater) go for it and to be in it now is a very special feeling. I’m hoping to improve in the coming events and looking forward to Portugal.”
Taylor Knox (USA), 40, posted his best result of the year today, finishing Equal 3rd and bolting from 32 to 21 on the ASP World Title rankings. Knox, who was in searing fashion throughout the event, eventually fell to the high-flying antics of Medina in the Semifinals.
“This is one of the best events I’ve had for a while but yeah I definitely ran into ‘Medina Airlines’ there in the Semifinals,” Knox said. “It’s a huge result for me and I felt like my surfing was really coming together. I have some really good boards right now and I’m hoping to keep the momentum up. We’re looking at maybe getting some big barrels in Portugal next week so that will be exciting and we have a lot of interesting events to finish the year with.”
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, back in his first event since injury in Tahiti, exhibited an impressive return to form throughout the event, but was unable to overcome Wilson in their Semifinal clash.
“I’m really happy with a 3rd and it’s a good result for me,” Smith said. “To be honest, I’m just happy to be back in the water. It feels great to be back and I just couldn’t get into the right waves until the end of that Semifinal there. Julian (Wilson) got off to a good start and he’s been ripping so I hope he posts a win here.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, was ousted in today’s Quarterfinals by an on-fire Medina. The iconic Floridian looked out of sorts in the shifting morning conditions as the young Brazilian dominated on both his forehand and backhand.
“Not much of a performance by me,” Slater said. “I guess he surfed well, I didn’t really see much as I was just floating out the back. Unfortunately, I was out of synch the whole time and didn’t really have a chance to battle it out with him.”
With the dust settled in the south of France, it has been determined that the 2011 ASP World Title cannot be decided at the next event in Portugal and will go to at least San Francisco.
Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro France will be available via http://www.quiksilverlive.com
The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season will be the Rip Curl Pro Portugal from October 15 – 24, 2011.
For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.00
2 – Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.10
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.57 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 7.00
SF 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 18.50 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.55
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.17 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.50
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.66 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 8.60
QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.26 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.77
QF 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.00 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 3.54
ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (After Completion of Quiksilver Pro France):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 50,150 pts
2. Owen Wright (AUS) 43,900 pts
3. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 35,900 pts
4. Taj Burrow (AUS) 34,450 pts
5. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 34,000 pts
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP World Tour News
No doubt, Medina rips… He has the cutting-edge, technical tricks down perfectly, but man… I guess style doesn’t count towards a high score anymore, huh?
Shame about style I agree – Parko would win hands down and most of the boys with flapping waving robot arms would finish down the bottom.
There’re MANY top surfers with not so perfect style…don’t try to put down the GREAT Medina’s win!!!
Style is subjective, but I think Dane Reynolds combines style with rad maneuvers brilliantly.
Too bad he’s fallen through the cracks.
My God!!! Slater is Human…. Medina, might not be…..
Nice work Quiksilver!!!! This is the first Webcast I’ve seen where you can get “all you want” of the contest without leaving home…. I am sure that if there are any bugs in the system, they will be worked out soon….. Having the great Martin Potter and the lovely Rosie commentating helped make the experience thoroughly enjoyable……. the next best thing to being there but without the dent in the wallet or the sunburn…. I got stuck in front of the screen, loving it, for the last couple days…… Thanx again & hope this is the new bar for ASP coverage…..
Well done to Gabriel, would have loved JW to win but just didn’t go his way in the end. The webcast, what a joke…..I reckon it is both the broadcast by Quik and my Australian ISP, Optus. Have an Optus cable and whle the semi’s were ok in medium, could only watch the final in low band then it stopped in the critical last few minutes. The feed continually dropped out through the event…..
Will be good to sit back and watch from comfort of lounge for the last 3 events.
QS I think you get the message… we need broadcast on TV – Internet was crap…
Medina showed commitment and man can he land an air…
Shame Julian didnt just finish crazy (sex change) move with just a big backhand snap – woulda probly gone into the 9s…?
Anyway – agree with the sentiments – Medina is the real deal… 1st time I think I’ve ever said that about a Brazilian surfer…
1st time??? Brazilians are ripping for long years ago…haven’t you heard about Flavio Padaratz, Fabio Gouveia, Vitor Ribas, 6th in the rank Adriano de Souza, big wave heroe Carlos Burle, and the winner of Billabong “wave of the year” Danilo Couto?
Quarter 2. Thanks Kelly for letting Gabe do his stuff without slamming the door on him. This year’s swell was difficult as I could see from the webcast. I also liked seeing Taylor getting to the semis. It was a good fight for waves. While in the beginning of the contest it seemed as if guys were being underscored those 16 plus heat scores in the finals showed us that those guys really had their A game. We have a good 34 right now. Funny thing about the webcast, I had no problem with medium. I saw all the action without hiccups.
The medina does not fly in big wave!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NElOb38B24
For sure the next number 1…
yeah, well done by the young brazilian, really good progressive surfing, will be nice to see those guys John john florence, medina, alejo, pupo, getting barreled in Portugal and Hawaii. This winning definitely helped slater to get his 11th world tittle.
And yes the internet broadcasting was very poor, I had to watch all heats in the Heat Review feature (which is a new but good feature)
Pura Vida from CR
Congrats Medina you really made us very proud. It is not easy show dominance on a sport that rules out who is not from the two main land.. but guys get used to it… new generation is knocking all doors down… the main language in Surfing now on is PORTUGUESE….. Ah mulek…
Kelly has already won the title! 11 Time world champ! Yoh!
Great surfing. Definitely some vindication for the mid-year rotation. What’s Bobby saying now? Then again, lets see how Medina goes in 10-12ft Pipe or raging Teahupoo
Common Matt, Medina is just beginning…Of course he won´t do it well in huge Teahupoo or Pipe. But who did in france what he did??? He´s a 17 years old. Give him time to improve and YOU WILL SEE!!! TIME WILL TELL!!!
let’s see Medina deep in the barrel and fly again, no doubt “in Medina we trust”
Hey Matt…
Medina was already seen in damm heavy hollow tubes,..he will surprise everyone if Supertubos pumps and by the forecast it will……He also told that he is hungry for Supertubos well overhead and barreling, is the kind of waves he likes by the way..
Wait and see.. PS: check for incredible aerials after he comes out of the tube…
When slater was 17 he was ripping giant Teahupoo????
Interesting to see the groms do so well. Kudos to the Brazilian Medina for consistently pulling off impressive aerial manuevers.
It looks like aerials are now deciding contests in smaller waves. It is sad that the true aerial innovators (eg. Buttons, Christian Fletcher, etc.) were never able to really capitalize off it in mainstream pro contests.
I’m hoping Supertubes will be barreling, so that we can see more tube riding and less tricks which have pretty much decided the last three contests.
Hi Gabriel,
It is very nice that you support your friend so much. Where you the one giving him the sweet kisses on the beach?
Great young surfer and sure he has a bright future ahead of him.
Don
medina is surfing better than anybody right now,
slater is all time, but shame on you americans for the comments
deal with it
My name is gabriel Im a surfer that believe a lot in gabriel medina, meu chara, hehheh. I think that medina will be or is the best surfer in the world, in brazil already is the best. Medina is my inspiration to life, I try to follow his life, but its impossible, Medina eh o unico. Nobody can win medina !
Very Poor effort from Quiksilver or should i call it Slowsilver with their cheap internet broadcasting and no live TV footage in Australia on Fuel TV.
Please fix your problems on braodcasting as i have the highest speed internet in Australia you can get, yet every quiksilver comp the webcast is shit and every one else from Hurley and billabong and ripcurl it is perfect…
Sack your I.T. idiots.
Well done Medina !!!
Based in Wollongong with TPG as ISP. The Qucksilver Pro website was working fine right up until the final 4min of the final in Widescreen HD.
The IP Route for the webcast stream then went from 4 points to be redirected via 28!
I had trouble all event on low quality settings. Same happen on the new York comp. Hurley and billabong seemed fine. It would of been good to see it on TV.
Still I had fun on the replays as what great surfing with the new school tricks.
I loved potters comment on Julian should of ran over medina. We know Pottzs would of cut he’s board in half