Gabriel Medina Wins Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, winner of the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco!
OCEAN BEACH, San Francisco/California (Monday, November 7, 2011) – Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, has won the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco, defeating Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in firing three-to-five foot waves at Ocean Beach to secure his second elite ASP World Tour victory this season.
Stop No. 10 of 11 on the men’s ASP World Title Race, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw Kelly Slater (USA), 39, officially secure his 11th ASP World Title yesterday while several surfers looking to secure a result prior to the ASP Top 34 end of year rotation put in stellar performances.
Medina, who joined the ASP Top 34 after the midyear rotation, has been in amazing form thus far, winning two events after competing in just four as an official member of the 2011 roster. The highly-touted Brazilian wasted little time in his Final campaign against Parkinson, belting a 7.50 and a 9.00, both out of 10, in the opening minutes with critical backhand blasts and controlled the heat throughout its entirety.
“This has been incredible,” Medina said. “This is my second World Tour win and it has been great. I’m having fun on the Tour. I don’t know what I did out there, I just try to go big and it was great to have a final with Parko (Joel Parkinson). He is one of my favorite surfers.”
Medina’s run on the Final day of competition was nothing short of amazing, as he took the day’s highest heat total of 17.33, out of 20, while defeating freshly crowned 11-Time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 39, and Taylor Knox (USA), 40, before topping the Stylish Australian in the Final.
“I feel good and confident and I’m really happy,” Medina said after his Semifinals heat win. “It was hard with Taylor (Knox) and Kelly (Slater) and I’m just stoked. That was a tough heat and I knew it’d be hard. I just got my last wave and it saved me. Conditions are kind of fun, it’s cold, but it’s really fun and I just tried my best.”
Parkinson quietly navigated through the opening rounds of competition, but lit up the high-performance beachbreak conditions on the final day, threading several technical barrels and unloading his patented carves en route to the Final, but was unable to put a stop to Medina and finished runner-up overall.
“It would have been nice to have won that won but I couldn’t find a wave out there,” Parkinson said. “Gabriel (Medina) has been absolutely ripping this whole event and congratulations to him. He’s got a huge future and I’m excited to watch him over the next few years. I just want to thank everyone here in San Francisco, it’s been amazing.”
Taylor Knox (USA), 40, was impressive in the powerful beachbreak conditions on offer at Ocean Beach, besting high-flying Brazilian Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, veteran Australian Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, to match his season-best result of an equal 3rd place finish after he fell to Medina in the Semifinals.
“I’m happy to be in the Semifinals and be one of the last four standing,” Knox said. “I’ve really felt like my consistency finally came around, at age 40. I’ve been finding my zone and having fun and been enjoying the city and surfing as well and enjoying the culture a little.”
Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, 2011 ASP Dream Tour rookie, matched his best result of the year today, cracking the Semifinals for the third time this season. The young South American blitzed an in-form Brett Simpson (USA), 26, in the Quarterfinals before going down to Parkinson in the Semifinals despite vaulting some solid aerials.
“I’m frustrated to not make the Final again,” Muniz said. “I feel like my surfing is there and I’m ready but it didn’t happen again. It’s okay. This is another good result for me and Joel (Parkinson) was surfing very well. I still have a lot to learn but I know I will keep improving.”
Slater fought hard in his Quarterfinals matchup against young Brazilian Gabriel Medina, but was unable to find the score needed to advance out of the heat and is now changing his focus towards the final stop on the ASP World Tour at the iconic Banzai Pipeline.
“At this point I’m just going to be focused on Pipe,” Slater said. “I’d love to win Pipe. Every year Phil Roberts makes an amazing trophy. Gerry Lopez shapes it and Jeff Divine puts a photo on it and Phil Roberts paints it up. In my eyes that’s the prized possession in surfing. It’s really a piece of surf history. I won three years ago, but two years ago Taj (Burrow) got me and last year I gave Jeremy (Flores) that wave and I didn’t get the chance to make that Final. It’s exciting to have that chance.”
Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco highlights can be found at www.live.ripcurl.com
The next and final stop on the 2011 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pipe Masters, which unfolds from December 8 through 20, 2011.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.50
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.90
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.33 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 14.27
SF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.97 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.34
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.96 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 12.83
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.50 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 11.10
QF 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.83 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 11.83
QF 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.76 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.93
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.67 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.83
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.93 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.70
Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA) adv. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) *Gudauskas withdraws due to injury
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.60 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.40
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP World Tour News
Se a gringalhada resolver fazer queda de braço conosco, em termos de gozação,vão se dar mal.Somos gozadores por natureza.Sabem qual é a música que eles estão cantando ?
” do you really want to hurt me,do you really want to make me cry” buaaaa !
Bob Carvalho from Brasil ou será Brazil,tanto faz!!
Man I am Brazilian and a great supporter of Brazilians surfers, as well as a fan of many surfers no matter where he was born. Like Joel, Jordy, Jullian and Kelly.
However I have to say, we just have to stop thinking that is “Brasil against the world”, if someone say bullshit the better answer is the silence. We fought a lot to be recognized and accepted and we are accomplishing that not fighting but surfing, and going into keyboard fights will not help the Brazilians surfers around the world at all.
We need peace in the outside we need peace in the world, no matter the nation, we are just surfers.
Just think about it,
Abraços,
Brazilians storm’s kids and jj florence are the future of our sport. The rest is bs!!!
There is one guy in this comments who need to go to the line up rigth now and get some waves. It’s just too much level of stress, i guess. When you’re out there remeber: GO BIG LIKE MEDINA!!!
Slater won 11 title with a FLOATER ??? Ohhhh, Adriano in rio, remember this gringos??
Brazil – 4 wins , aus?? Usa?? Hawaii?? Try to remember??
Voces vao ter que nos engolir gringaiada !!!!
So many years waiting for this moment!!! Brazilian Nuts!!!
all I see is Brazilian babes in g strings loving white gringos………
Medina did a great job winning the Search – a first for Brasil (or is it Brazil?). NOW he gets his name added to a list of a VERY select few: Mick Fanning, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, and Kelly Slater. Not a bad list to be a part of.
OK guys…its waaay too early to claim Medina as anything more than a kid that had a GREAT year. Lets save “the next…” or “better than…” stuff until a few more years and a few world titles. For now, congrats on a solid year kid. Otherwise keep the overhyping under control. Time will tell. Brazilians…smile and be PROUD, but chill on the cockiness. You’re only making enemies. “Humble” goes a long way.
For now, congrats to Slater on a feat that will never be surpassed and lets not forget the legacy of Andy Irons. Hawaii is the motherland of surfing and for now…this generation can only whisper a couple of names in context as to who “owns” what. Keep the flag waving for the UN….except HI…they have every right.
Aloha
Sorry Eddie, yr right. I was just trying to slap his face….hahhahahaha Peace in the line up and go home gringo prego!!
Sorry gringalhada “the brazilian storm” is here to stay!I surf since 1972 and always waited and dreamed for this moment. It finaly arrived,i am so pround and very happy.
Vai Medina! Go Brasil! Joao. Portugal.
Don’t worry boys from Brazil. Maningreatsuit is either stupid or a troll. Don’t waste your energy. Let’s focus on the positive. You are the most winning country on the WT this year and have given us the greatest young talent ever seen. You have nothing to prove. Bravo!
thanks jeremy
yeah 3/4 won on shitty beachies, not stupid and don’t live under a bridge so definitely not a troll, the truth hurts doesn’t it
Truth, or in your case, just plain denial, based on some shit “ism”?
Sorry guys, but Medina, Souza, Pupo, Andre, Monteiro, Alves, Burle, Couto, Gabeyra, Muniz are from Brazil……see you in Hawaii!!!
Well said Mike. Bobby Who? Oh yea the jerk who swore on a live webcast in front of my 4 year old surf fanatic son. Guess who he’s looking up to now?
Brazil won 4 events, USA?? Australia?? Hawaii??
Try to remember , sorry….
Brazilian rulles now!!!!
Just a simple question…who’s better, Medina or Kelly at 17?? Medina seems a fair answer…
what a performance at 17 years old,under pressure this kid is wild!!
totaly amazed by his flow,carve,and now this flex on his backhand,he seems to improve heat after heat,
No worry for pipe,as soon as he will get to the line up he’ll deliver his tube riding skill,a jj florence vs medina final sound good and could be the hit of the next ten year to come
Medina será o 1º campeão mundial de surf pelo o Brasil!!
Povavelmente sim mas,o que é bom é que os outros meninos são quase tão bons quanto ele e todos irão melhorar ainda mais!!
Congrats Medina! and Congrats Kelly!
how i saw a guy saying. MM = Magic Medina and KK = King Kelly hehehe
Medina = Rookie of the Year!!!
can sumone explain please medina and the other rookies were put on the tour as ligitmate competitors on the world tour ,yes bobby disagrees but bobby is jus frustrated at the silly system and scoring of the world tour but medina now has won 2 events but he cant win a world title it makes no sense changes r good but maybe if he had a full year slater would not hav won his world title and may have become over shadowed by medina but now slater can retire and make sure is legacy does not get tanished by medina and of course the scoring is a joke but the surfing is great
medina will be a force next year. And last year he didn’t have the points to qualify, so this year he has and doesn’t have to wait until the end of this year. Sounds like a bonus to me……
Thanks Mik. All the surfers don’t leave in hawaï !!! 3 to 5 feet and they’re all on their step up boards ? C’mon ….
pfft witness a new apex!! yes with the Josh kerr as he rips in every aspect, but why do all brazillians have the same style? i am absolutely sick of watching the same old air reverses its getting old real quick. Slater and Kerrzy do full rote alley oops so much more difficult than grab rail air reverses or grab rail tail waft. Alejo did a nice fin waft much better than anything Gabriel did all event. There is no way in this world that Medina is slaters heir never will be. I cant stand watching the kid!! Be good to see him at Pipe
not many air sections at pipe thats for sure
The medina is from of the most tubular surf spots of Brazil. We also want to see him at pipeline! And he not did any air at the final!
What contest did you watch? Medina won making strong moves and not only airs. He beat Joel Parkinson in the final doing only hacks. With his backside he got a 9 and a 7.5. Kerr is good on air but only in it. He wastes every wave trying to do an air. No hacks, no powersurfing.
For this kind of wave, he have Carlos Burle and Maya Gabeira. Medina is an atlhete. He has no point to prove, but winning at the contest. the kid is only 17. Amazing!!
Well Maningreysuit, with all respect, I am dissapointed to say but you, and most of Americans and Aussies are not aware of what this kid can do in hollow and haeavy pits..
He’s been in hawaii for more than 4 years, done some time travel in Indonesia as well and kept his surf sessions under the radar as nobody knew him a part of the wim in France (King of the grooms).
Maresias where he is come from is famous for barrels…looks like supertubos with a little more lenght to get to the outside..
Having Bruno Santos in RIP CURL team of course will help him a lot….to succeed in pipeline…Pancho Sullivan also told on the online webcast that he will stay close to him…to help him catch the good waves there as we all know how difficult is the pipe lineup..
He also told a Brazilian tv (ESPN) THAT HE HOPES FOR BIG BARRELS THERE…WHATCH OUT!!!
You are just a Brasilian hater. You should watch Alejo Muniz, Leo Neves or Raoni Monteiro surfing Sunset. (Raoni won there last year in solid waves). Or just watch Bruno Santos or Wiggolly Dantas in pumping Pipeline surf. Or even watch Carlos Burle and Danilo Couto in Jaws, Waimea etc.) Unfortunatey for guys like you and a bunch of over hyped gringo surfers, Brasilian surfers are out there to prove themselves in all conditions. Cumprimentos de Portugal!
such a kook, bet u surf on a pink buggyboard. even Kelly can’t stop watch Medina surf.
Bernardo…please do not call he with a Pink Bodyboard..such a waste of time….remember that in Brazil..we also have more than 10 bodyboard world titles..Guilherme MEGA Tâmega himself has 6..and 6 runner up finishes…
Im Pipe I am pretty sure our countryman brazzos COMO EU e VC….will tear the Pipeline line up apart…
PS. I do bodyboarding as well…just love the rejection hahahaha
hahahahh classic reactions. I loved Neco he was an absolute legend, my comment is nothing to do with hating brazillians at all, just very repetative surfing happening. Pink body board are you serious? i’d happily take anyone of you on in a heat any day of the week. I’d loved to be proved wrong and have him get stand talls at pipe who doesn’t wnat to see that. Just alot of pre mature ejaculation about him being a prodogy, plenty of surfer have won Pro events at 17
“plenty of surfer have won Pro events at 17″
Please name them, kook.
KOOKINGAYSUIT is a pipe charger??? really….
stink bugs all over San Francisco and in the H2O. ASP come on and smell the salt chop hop to reverse is not stylish, hard or critical. You are losing many a fans when criteria starts rewarding beach break one manuvers and bang a 10. Dream tour needs to be a surfers DREAM. SF is cool and all but its not on my list to go on a surf trip. Think warmer…Fiji, Samoa, Tonga….INDO. Love you guys
aloha
is this the guy who replaced that idiot Bobby who complained on TV that these guys do not deserved the right to surf against the elite level of pro surfing.
Congratulations to RIPCURL, The ASP and Medina and Kelly for a great competition. Also well done and good to see Taylor Knox surfing so good after all these year’s. Still one of the best cutback styles in the business…..
The surf was 3 to 6 feet overhead on sets, so please, stop this Hawaiian measuring standard. It has no basis in reality. If the surfer is 6 ft tall, and the wave is 4 feet above his head, and he’s not even at the bottom of the wave, then it’s a 10 ft face. The surf today was 6 to 10 ft, powerful, with shifty conditions. A very difficult line-up, or lack thereof… And Gabrial et al surfed it better than anyone ever has. The bar has been raised dramatically. Also, Kerr’s huge arial (quarter final?) is the highest punt (completed) I have ever seen up here. All in all, my take is that we have just witnessed a major apex in competitive surfing: Kelly just won his 11th title, and Kelly’s heir apparent has just emerged: Gabrial Medina is a monster.
Medina wins two events in 2011 – despite coming on midterm he´s gotta be rookie of the year!