Gabriel Medina has a new sponsor, but who’s going to be the big one? Photo: Los Los//Instagram
Gabriel Medina has a new sponsor, but it might not be the one you were expecting. This week, the three-time world champion announced a partnership with Los Los, a Brazilian ice cream company, adding another brand to an already crowded board. It’s a fun, unexpected deal — and a reminder that even after stepping away from Rip Curl, Medina’s commercial appeal remains as strong as ever.
Medina enters this season as one of the biggest question marks on the Championship Tour, not only in terms of his physical recovery and competitive form, but also in terms of sponsorship. Replacing a 17-year partnership — one of the most successful athlete-brand relationships in modern surfing — is no small task. And in today’s market, finding a company willing and able to fill that role is more complex than ever.
After conversations with industry insiders and people close to Medina during his Rip Curl years, a few patterns are beginning to suggest a possible path.
Why Surfwear Might Be Out
One thing seems increasingly clear: it’s unlikely that another traditional surfwear brand will step in as his main sponsor.
Even Rip Curl — widely considered one of the healthiest and most stable brands in the space — ultimately chose not to continue the investment. Given the current state of the global surfwear industry, marked by financial strain, store closures, and shrinking sponsorship budgets, a new surfwear deal at that level would be a major surprise.
So if not surfwear, then who?
The Remaining Options
Medina already carries 10 different sponsors on his board, spanning multiple categories: energy drink, beer, sunscreen, eyewear, telecom provider, shampoo, automotive, footwear, audio equipment, food, and now, ice cream. That significantly narrows the field.
Among those existing partners, two names stand out as both financially capable and strategically aligned: Monster Energy and Oakley.
Monster has a long track record in action sports and a proven appetite for investing heavily in athletes with global reach. Its roster already includes names like Valentino Rossi, Lando Norris, Nyjah Huston, Jon Jones, and others across motorsport, skateboarding, MMA, and beyond.
An upgrade to Medina’s nose sponsorship would not only strengthen Monster’s presence in surfing, but also set up a direct rivalry with Red Bull, which has a strong footprint in the sport and backs top-tier athletes, including Olympic champion Italo Ferreira in Brazil.
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Oakley, a legacy brand in eyewear and performance equipment, has long been connected to surfing and action sports. While it has lost prominence on board noses in recent years, it remains deeply embedded among elite CT athletes through eyewear and gear sponsorships.
A Medina nose deal could be the perfect opportunity for Oakley to reclaim a stronger position in competitive surfing, leveraging the three-time world champion’s global visibility and cultural relevance.
Adding to that, Oakley is currently led by Brazilian executive Caio Amato at a global level — and the two already have history. Back in 2019, when Medina became an ambassador for Adidas, Amato was serving as the brand’s Global VP of Brand Marketing, a prior relationship that could help facilitate strategic conversations and alignment.
Nike Could Step In?
Nike’s relationship with surfing has seen highs and lows: from Nike Aqua Gear in the ’90s, to Nike 6.0 in the 2000s, followed by a major retreat from the sport in the early 2010s. In recent years, however, Nike has quietly re-entered the space, focusing on elite athletes and global visibility, especially with surfing now firmly embedded in the Olympic program.
In Brazil, Nike already sponsors Italo Ferreira, while internationally it has invested in young talents like Erin Brooks and Sierra Kerr. With Medina, the exposure would be massive. He isn’t just a surfer — he’s a crossover star whose influence extends well beyond the lineup.
The price tag would be high, but if there’s a brand with the structure, reach, and budget to justify it, Nike fits the profile.
Again, Medina is not just a surfer. He’s a three-time world champion, an Olympic medalist, and a global sports figure with millions of followers across social media. That makes the nose of his board one of the most valuable sponsorship assets in surfing today.
In a market where traditional surfwear is struggling, the decision won’t be about who can pay, but about who has the vision and structure to match an athlete of his scale. For now, Medina may be adding ice cream to the board — but the biggest flavor is still missing.
