Photo: WSL / LAURENT MASUREL
Gabriel Medina and Julian Wilson just battled it out in the final of the MEO Rip Curl Cup Pro Portugal, giving Medina his second straight win and a perfect run through Europe this year. It’s a hot streak that’s brought him all the way into the number two spot on the Jeep Leaderboard with just one event to go and a fairly slow first half of the year. The runner-up finish for Wilson pushed him into the top-5 of the rankings after a win in Tahiti and a semis appearance at J-Bay have made this a hot second half for the Australian as well.
But more interesting than just another win for Gabs is that there’s once again something at stake when the Tour heads to Pipe in six weeks. John John Florence came home to the North Shore last year with his first title in the bag, making the 2016 Pipe Masters a homecoming parade for the best surfer on the planet. This time he leads the pack of four surfers with a shot at winning it all for 2017, and while Florence still has the clearest path to what would be his second World Title (make it to the Final), there are multiple scenarios in which Medina, Jordy Smith, and now Wilson could all come away World #1 instead. John John is still the only surfer completely in control of his own destiny but here are the remaining title scenarios heading into the 2017 Billabong Pipe Masters:
-If Florence finishes in 1st or 2nd place at Pipe, he will clinch the 2017 World Title;
-If Florence finishes in 3rd, Medina will need a 1st to clinch the 2017 Title;
-If Florence finishes in 5th, Medina needs a 1st;
-If Florence finishes in 9th, Medina needs a 2nd, and Jordy Smith needs a 1st;
-If Florence finishes in 13th or 25th, Medina needs a 5th, Smith needs 2nd, and Wilson needs 1st.
So I say we all thank Gabs for giving us some stakes at the Tour’s best stop come December. I, for one, love a little bit of drama when it comes to competition and think it’s something professional surfing doesn’t get served enough of to draw the casual fan. Who you got?
