Back in January 2017, we learned that Gabriel Medina and his family had opened a training compound in Medina’s hometown of Maresias, Brazil in an effort to develop the next generation of dominant competitive Brazilian surfers – the Gabriel Medina Institute.
Ever since, there’s been little coverage of what exactly the Institute does, or what everyday life is like for its pupils. The video above may be the most detailed glimpse we’ve ever gotten.
The first Brazilian men’s CT champ when it opened and now two-time world champ poised to clinch a third, Gabriel Medina now enjoys mythic status across his native Brazil. Especially in his hometown.
His competitive success has inspired countless young Brazilians to chase their competitive dreams of someday becoming world champion by putting in the blood, sweat, and tears. But, according to this little video produced by Microsoft it would seem that technology is also on their side.
According to the video, training sessions are now being conducted on a board equipped with a sensitive electronic device that detects pressure on the surface of the board, speed, and other data. The information gleaned from the device is more detailed than what a coach can see simply from watching, apparently. It can show the coach when the surfer is putting too much pressure on his or her back foot in critical situations, and more. In other words, big data is currently shaping the next crop of Brazilian surfers.
