It’s clear that three-time surfing world champion Gabriel Medina isn’t enjoying himself in the WSL competitions. He battled Australian surfer Ethan Ewing in the quarterfinals of the Surf Ranch Pro, and the two finished with identical scores of 16.67. Yet, due to his 9.07 wave score, the Australian moved forward to the semi-finals. The Brazilian surfer, clearly upset over the WSL’s verdict, has voiced his doubts regarding the decision after his last battle at the Surf Ranch Pro.

Gabriel Medina used social media to express his concerns over the event by writing an open letter to WSL. Many Brazilians cheered for their world champion owing to their skepticism about the governing body. However, Medina was unprepared for WSL’s response.

Not something that the surfing world champion expected

Right off the bat, the Brazilian surfer stresses the significance of his words by saying, “Please understand the importance of this discussion.” Medina’s ideals have been greatly impacted by his internal conflicts with the WSL’s evaluation of his performance. The “poor clarity and inconsistency of judging” in WSL is another topic he brings up, saying that the Brazilian community is dissatisfied with it.

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He further addressed the situation in the pinned comments of his Instagram post, saying, “It is quite clear that judging is now rewarding very simple surfing, seamless transitions and have taken critical turns in critical sections off the criteria. This is very frustrating and is stagnating the sport.” The WSL, however, reportedly dismissed the Brazilian surfer’s complaints, as reported by The Guardian. According to the League, “it is unacceptable” since the judges who work during the tournaments are “elite professionals.”

Things are getting heated between Gabriel Medina and WSL authorities right now. The Brazilian community is understandably outraged by this, as they are disappointed with the league’s actions overall.

How much have the rankings been affected?

The entirety of the WSL standings has been drastically altered since the Surf Ranch Pro. Griffin Colapinto, formerly ranked fourth behind a Brazilian surfer, has risen three spots to first, with a grand total of 35,090 points. Second and third place go to Joao Chianca and Filipe Toledo. With a new total of 28,895 points, Australian surfer Ethan Ewing has risen to fourth position.

Despite his disagreement with the WSL judges, Gabriel Medina has moved up to sixth place. With a total of 24,705 points, Medina is just 1,840 points away from fifth place. The 2023 season will be exciting all the way up to the final championship tour, with Medina and the other Brazilian athletes ready to reclaim their former position of surfing supremacy.

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