Gabriel Medina emerges triumphant in Saquarema Surf Pro International’s round of 96
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina managed to clinch the win in the 11th heat of round of 96, the opening round of Saquarema Surf Pro International, at Itauna Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday, May 25th.
Medina remained the highlight of the heat with his excellent performance in conditions that were nothing short of a surfer’s nightmare. His compatriot, Jihad Khodr, also remained impressive as he battled nature and a line-up consisting of brilliant surfers,
eventually finishing in second position.
Brazil’s Jean Da Silva and New Zealand’s Billy Stairmand found themselves getting eliminated from the competition after finishing in third and fourth place respectively.
Medina went on a rampage during the heat, throwing down sensational tricks and manoeuvres in the two waves that he chose. Both waves did not have a lot to offer, but that is where the Brazilian’s experience and skill came in. Executing amazing manoeuvres
in challenging waves, he compelled the judges to give him a really impressive score of 16.76. The score remained unbeatable throughout the course of the heat, eventually confirming him as the winner. With the win, Medina secured his place in the next stage
of the competition, the round of 48.
Khodr also managed to pretty much adjust to the conditions and come up with a wonderful performance. He ended up getting a score of 14.80 from his two waves to finish in the top two and advancing to the next round along with Medina.
Da Silva failed to make the most of his local knowledge and found himself becoming one of the many victims of the tough surfing conditions. To make matters worse, he was unable to execute his manoeuvres soundly, compelling the judges to deduct points. He
finished in third place with a total score of 13.76 after his two waves.
The only foreigner in the heat, Stairmand from New Zealand, found himself at a major disadvantage while facing the local surfers at their home, under tough surfing conditions. Not only did he fail to match up to the level of surfing of his rivals, he also
failed to adjust to the low tides and ended up with a total score of 9.73.
Stairmand and Da Silva find themselves eliminated from the competition while Medina and Khodr will be competing in the round of 48 after the 24 heats of Saquarema Surf Pro International’s opening round wrap up.
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