Gabriel Medina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gabriel Medina |
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Medina in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 December 1993 São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil |
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| Residence | São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 169 lb (77 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surfing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best year | 1st: 2014, 2018 and 2021 - WSL World Champion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sponsors | Matt Nabney, Rip Curl, Adidas, Guaraná Antarctica, Vivo, Audi, Samsung Galaxy, Oakley, Gorilla, FCS traction and fins, Vult, Coppertone, Tokoro Surfboards, Monster Energy, Corona (beer), Blaze Online Casino | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major achievements |
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| Surfing specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Goofy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shaper(s) | Johnny Cabianca | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite waves | Teahupo'o | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite maneuvers | Aerials, Barrels | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira (born December 22, 1993) is a professional surfer from Brazil. He is famous for winning the WSL World Championships three times. He won in 2014, 2018, and 2021. Gabriel also earned a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in surfing.
In 2009, when he was just 15, Gabriel Medina made history. He became the youngest surfer to win a big Qualifying Series event. He joined the World Surf League Tour in 2011. Since 2015, Gabriel has won more Championship Tour events than any other surfer. He is also known for being one of the first surfers to do a "Backflip" trick. He was the first to land this move in a competition in 2016.
Contents
Gabriel's Early Life and Surfing Journey
Gabriel Medina was born in São Sebastião, Brazil. He grew up in a place called Maresias. He started surfing when he was only four years old. By age 11, he won his first national championship. This was the Rip Curl Grom Search for surfers under 12.
Gabriel won many amateur championships in Brazil. He became a champion at events like Volcom Sub-14 and Rip Curl Grom Search. He also won the state championship three times. When he was 14, he competed in the Paulista Championship finals. He even beat his idol, Adriano de Souza, in a big competition.
In July 2009, Gabriel signed a contract with Rip Curl. This helped him become a professional surfer. Just ten days later, he won the Maresias Surf International. At 15, he was the youngest male to win an open-age pro surfing event. This broke a record that had stood since 1987.
Becoming a World Champion
In 2011, Gabriel won several important championships. He won WQS events in Brazil, France, and Spain. He also won the Pro Junior World Championship. At 17, he joined the ASP World Championship Tour. Even though he only competed for half the season, he won two events. These wins were in France and the USA.
In 2013, Gabriel won the World Junior Tour. He was 19 years old at the time.
The 2014 season was a big one for Gabriel. He won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. He was the first Brazilian man to win there. He also won the Volcom Fiji Pro. Later, he won the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti. He beat famous surfer Kelly Slater in a tough final. By the end of 2014, Gabriel became the first Brazilian ASP World Champion. He was only 20, making him one of the youngest champions ever.
In 2015, Gabriel won the Quiksilver Pro France. This was his sixth win on the World Tour. He also became the first Brazilian to win the Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing. This happened after he reached the finals at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
On May 14, 2016, Gabriel made history at the Oi Rio Pro. He was the first surfer to land a "Backflip" trick in a competition. He earned a perfect score of 10 from all judges for this amazing move. In June 2016, he won his seventh World Tour event in the Fiji Islands. This made him the most successful Brazilian surfer in the history of the tour at just 22 years old.
More Victories and Milestones
In 2017, Gabriel was one of the first surfers to win a competition in a man-made wave pool. This happened at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch in California. He also won two more events that year. By age 23, he had 9 World Tour wins. He finished the 2017 season in second place overall.
The 2018 season was even better for Gabriel. He won events in Tahiti, the wave pool in California, and Pipeline. These wins helped him become a two-time world champion. He was 24 years old. This was a great year for Brazilian surfing. Brazilian surfers won 9 out of 11 events on the tour.
In 2019, Gabriel won his 13th World Tour event in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. He was part of the first-ever final there with only "goofy-footers" (surfers who ride with their right foot forward). He also won the gold medal for Brazil at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games in Japan. Later that year, he won his third event at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch. He finished the 2019 season in second place overall.
Gabriel was chosen to represent Brazil at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He finished in fourth place.
In the 2021 season, Gabriel won his third world title. He won three of the eight tour events and was second in three others. This made him one of only a few surfers with three World Titles. He has 16 WSL Championship Tour wins and has been in 29 finals. This shows he is great at surfing under pressure.
In January 2022, Gabriel announced he would take a break from surfing. He wanted to focus on his mental health. In March, he had surgery to help him breathe better. He returned to the 2022 season in April. He finished third at the Quiksilver Pro G-Land and the El Salvador Pro. However, he injured his left knee at the Oi Rio Pro, which ended his season early.
On March 3, 2024, Gabriel won the ISA World Surfing Games. This qualified him for the 2024 Olympic Games. At the Olympics, he had the highest single-wave score of the tournament. A picture of him appearing to float in mid-air became very popular. He won a bronze medal after beating Alonso Correa.
On January 11, 2025, Gabriel shared on Instagram that he hurt his pectoral muscle. This injury happened while surfing in Maresias, Brazil. Because of this, he had to miss the first three events of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour.
Gabriel's Surfboards
Gabriel Medina has worked with his surfboard shaper, Johnny Cabianca, since 2008. Johnny Cabianca is a famous surfboard maker from Brazil. Gabriel uses about 100 surfboards each year. His first win on a Cabianca Surfboard was in 2015. Sometimes, Gabriel also uses boards made by Wade Tokoro for special events.
In September 2020, Gabriel launched his own line of softboards. These are called "Medina Softboards" and are easy for people to use.
Filmography
Acting Roles
- Luiza Possi: Lembra (2017)
- Surf Chronicles (2011)
As Himself
- Tempestade Perfeita (2021)
- É Ouro! O Brilho do Brasil em Tóquio (2021)
- World Debut (2021)
- Gabriel Medina (2020)
- WSL Men's Championship Tour (2019)
- Mundo Medina (2019)
- WSL World Surf League (2018)
- No Contest (2018)
- WSL Men's Championship Tour (2018)
- Rip Curl's The Search (2014–2017)
- WSL Men's Championship Tour (2016)
- Vai Fernandinha (2016)
- Samsung: Surf - The Snail (2016)
- WSL Men's Championship Tour (2015)
- Xuxa Meneghel (2015)
- Today (2014)
- ASP Men's Championship Tour (2014)
- ASP World Surf Tour (2014)
- Diário das Ilhas (2012)
- Noronha Prime (2012)
Images for kids
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Medina in 2018
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Gabriel Medina pictured after winning the 2018 Billabong Pipe Masters and 2018 WSL world title
See also
In Spanish: Gabriel Medina (surfista) para niños
