Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina is a household name in the surfing community. The three-time WSL champion and the first Brazilian to win surfing’s “triple crown” (events in Fiji, Tahiti, and Australia’s Gold Coast) has had a tough go in the WSL contests as of late due to the unfolding of different controversies. Despite the hardships he has gone through, the surfer isn’t too concerned about the past, since he is preparing for a more important competition. It’s hard to imagine a more momentous occasion than hosting a World Surf League tournament in his native Brazil. The eighth event of the season will take place in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 23 to July 1, and the Brazilian surfer is psyched to compete in his home event.

Medina has updated his 11 million Instagram fans with a little film while he waits for his home WSL event. In only a few short hours after being posted, the video received over 300,000 views, demonstrating the fervor of his fan following and their anticipation for him to do well in his home WSL event.

Will this be a comeback competition for the former surfing champ?

Half of Medina’s season was missing in 2022 because he took time off to work on his mental health. Though he didn’t do well, he did compete in the 2022 Oi Rio Pro, losing to Callum Robson in the preliminary stages. The surfer’s 2023 season didn’t get off to a great start either, but he salvaged it by winning the 2023 Margaret River Pro. However, he was beaten by Australian surfer Ethan Ewing in the Surf Ranch Pro despite his criticism of the WSL’s judgment. Although the CEO of WSL responded negatively to Medina’s criticisms, he is not a person who dwells on the past and is instead focused on the 2023 VIVO Rio Pro.

ALSO READ – “Good to Have Heats”: Just After Getting Defeated by Brazilian Surfer, Surfing Legend Goes Candid on Their Heated Battle at El Salvador

In his most recent Instagram highlight clip, titled “Home is home,” Medina can be seen surfing in his native Brazil. The video features Medina and his surfing pals Fernando Junior and Lucas Balbino to the tune of “Am I Dreaming?” by A$AP Rocky, Metro Boomin, and Roisee from “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Medina is seen doing some impressive acrobatics on the waves while riding the jetski to get to the break. The surfer executed some fantastic barrels, and it’s clear that he’s not only ready for the next event but also has the aerial skills down pat to impress his legions of Instagram followers.

Now that El Salvador is done, surfing enthusiasts will have to wait until the next weekend to see amazing surfing action on par with the Rio Pro from a year ago.

Complete Brazilian domination

Brazilians dominated the 2022 Rio Pro, which was contested in their home country. The surfing competition was a huge hit with the local crowd. However, Filipe Toledo and Samuel Pupo, two Brazilian surfers, fought to the finish in the finals. They both proved themselves deserving of a spot in the Itaúna final by dominating the competition throughout the qualification and elimination rounds.

Toledo dominated the finals in the third and fourth waves, scoring an amazing 18.67, which featured a 10 and an 8.67. Pupo, on the other hand, struggled to ride the swells and ended up with a score of only 10.73 (8.00 + 2.73). In the end, Toledo triumphed by a landslide, and the spectators went berserk at the sight of such a remarkable display of surfing.

WATCH THIS STORY – Watch This Rare Natural Phenomenon at Scenic Surfing Destination That Will Make Your Day