Gabriel Medina is a divisive character in pro surfing. It seems that, for the most part at least, you either love him or hate him. Whichever side of the fence you land on, you can’t deny that Gabriel Medina is freakishly good at surfing. In general, Medina doesn’t release too many freesurfing clips. Fans are used to seeing his surfing in heats, under the pressure of an event, wearing a jersey and battling for points. That might be a big reason why he’s so divisive: the casual surf viewer only sees him as a competitive beast who will do anything to win.
But Gabriel does indeed surf outside of the horn. You knew he did, of course, but seeing it is a bit of a rare bird, and his freesurfing is a hell of a lot different than his contest surfing. He’s relaxed. He’s soul-arching. He’s surfing to surf, not to win. And he falls. Yes, you read that right. Gabriel Medina falls. You knew he did, of course, but seeing it is a bit of a rare bird.
