Gabriel Medina Expresses His Dissatisfaction With The WSL
Gabriel Medina Surf Ranch
On this occasion, Gabriel Medina failed to reach his fourth final at the Surf Ranch. In fact, the big controversy of the event revolved around the three-time world champion, who ended up losing in highly questionable fashion to Ethan Ewing, which left many perplexed.
After the conclusion of the event that crowned Griffin Colapinto, Medina turned to his social networks and sent a strong message to the WSL:
“Please understand the importance of this discussion.
Surfing is my life, and my love for this sport is unconditional. I surf with a passion and intend to leave a beautiful legacy when I look back one day.
However, the surf community, especially the Brazilian one, has been appalled by the lack of clarity and inconsistency in the definition of grades for many years, but lately it has been even more shocking.
It’s clear that the judges’ evaluation now rewards very simple surfing, sketchy transitions and PROGRESSION and VARIETY are removed from the equation entirely. This is very frustrating and threatens the growth of the sport.
The fans and sponsors will not accept this to continue and for the foreseeable future will end up walking away as they expect a fair and equal test for the sport.
It’s also important to note that many coaches have had the opportunity to speak to the WSL after the qualifiers/stages to discuss PROGRESS and VARIETY in the criteria and lack of appreciation for gimmicks. The feedback received is always quite defensive, with bad examples to illustrate your points.
The WSL urgently needs to clarify its criteria and apply fair judgment to preserve the evolution of the sport.
Thank you,
Gabriel Medina and all of Brazil”.