Editor’s Note: This came in response to a recently published article entitled Why Gabriel Medina’s World Title is Great For Surfing.
Medina rips, but some take issue with how he won the title. Photo: ASP/Masurel
First off, I’m a believer in Medina’s ability to surf. The kid rips, but I just can’t accept his championship status. Yes, he did dominate through most of the year and had some impressive heat wins that showcased his talent, but here’s the big issue I see with his championship: He didn’t win it on his own.
In heat 6 of Round 3, during his heat against Dusty Payne, heat 5 with Miguel Pupo and Felipe Toledo was still in the water. In his post-heat interview, Felipe admitted to using his heat’s priority to block Dusty from taking waves at Backdoor. He makes his admission at about 19:00 in the video below.
Of course, we can’t assume that Dusty would have won his heat against Gabriel if Toledo wasn’t blocking. But when the ASP/WSL moved Fanning’s heat because he’d be in the water at the same time as Gabriel’s heat, they stated that the reason for the move to ensure a clean race for the title. Obviously, they were concerned about the tactics. If Dusty Payne knocked out Medina in Round 3, Slater and Fanning would have battled it out for the championship, and history would be a whole different story.
Medina’s championship gets an asterisk beside it–at least until he gets a chance to defend his title next year. Then, by all means, he deserves it. But if some people are wondering why others aren’t accepting it, this is one of the reasons.
