"I was thinking I was out of the race fore sure," said Gabriel Medina, talking about how he felt during his trip back to Brazil in September. "I'd just lost at Trestles, but I kept training, like I had been all year long to get ready for France...I don't know, I just had ambition."
contenders - WSL / Damien Poullenot
That ambition brought Medina back-to-back wins in Europe, thrusting him all the way back into the No. 2 spot on the Jeep Leaderboard just in time for a World Title showdown at the Billabong Pipe Masters on Oahu's North Shore, which is set to get underway December 8.
Medina and Florence, who both joined the Championship Tour in 2011, now have one World Title each. As they chase the next one their rivalry is heating up. Medina joked that he wants three titles before he's all done. "Hopefully this one will be the second."
By earning Brazil its first World Title in 2014 at Pipeline, Medina became a national sports hero. He's hoping to give them another reason to cheer this year. - WSL
Medina's record is 11-4 against Florence, though a lot of those are in non-elimination rounds. But even during do-or-die heats he owns a 5-3 advantage. Their latest match came during the Semifinals of the Quiksilver Pro France, where Medina utilized his entire bag of tricks to take the win.
"I like the chase," said Medina, who believes the weight of the Jeep Leaders' jersey and competing in front of a home crowd actually adds to the pressure being put on current No. 1 John John Florence.
Florence may be surfing in his own backyard, but Medina is no slouch at Pipeline, no matter what the conditions are. - WSL / Laurent Masurel
"I competed at a Qualifying Series (QS) event at home, and it's not good," he laughed, recalling the pressure. With much higher stakes on tap at Pipeline, Florence's own backyard, Medina believes there's much more pressure on John. "That yellow jersey is really heavy," he added.
"I'm excited though. I think it's going to be a good battle. He knows this wave better than anyone. I just want to make heats. Heat by heat. Step by step. I know if I get in the Final I have a good chance, so I just want to get to the Final...I don't like losing."
After suffering through one of the biggest slumps of his career, the Brazilian hero is now right where he wants to be.
Gabriel Medina's World Title Outlook: "I Like The Chase"
WSL
"I was thinking I was out of the race fore sure," said Gabriel Medina, talking about how he felt during his trip back to Brazil in September. "I'd just lost at Trestles, but I kept training, like I had been all year long to get ready for France...I don't know, I just had ambition."
That ambition brought Medina back-to-back wins in Europe, thrusting him all the way back into the No. 2 spot on the Jeep Leaderboard just in time for a World Title showdown at the Billabong Pipe Masters on Oahu's North Shore, which is set to get underway December 8.
Medina and Florence, who both joined the Championship Tour in 2011, now have one World Title each. As they chase the next one their rivalry is heating up. Medina joked that he wants three titles before he's all done. "Hopefully this one will be the second."
Medina's record is 11-4 against Florence, though a lot of those are in non-elimination rounds. But even during do-or-die heats he owns a 5-3 advantage. Their latest match came during the Semifinals of the Quiksilver Pro France, where Medina utilized his entire bag of tricks to take the win.
"I like the chase," said Medina, who believes the weight of the Jeep Leaders' jersey and competing in front of a home crowd actually adds to the pressure being put on current No. 1 John John Florence.
"I competed at a Qualifying Series (QS) event at home, and it's not good," he laughed, recalling the pressure. With much higher stakes on tap at Pipeline, Florence's own backyard, Medina believes there's much more pressure on John. "That yellow jersey is really heavy," he added.
"I'm excited though. I think it's going to be a good battle. He knows this wave better than anyone. I just want to make heats. Heat by heat. Step by step. I know if I get in the Final I have a good chance, so I just want to get to the Final...I don't like losing."
Gabriel Medina
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Featuring Gabriel Medina, John John Florence, Liam O'Brien, Yago Dora, Italo Ferreira, Carissa Moore, Griffin Colapinto, Tatiana
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Medina has found his gear upon reaching stop No. 4 Bells Beach, dropping a commanding 17.33 Heat total which included a near-perfect 9.33 +
Billabong Pipe Masters
In 2017, Owen Wright returned to Pipeline -- the scene of a serious injury which had threatened to derail his surfing career.
The Tour comes down to the North Shore of Oahu, and the world's most challenging wave.