Gabriel Medina, the hope of an entire nation. Photo: WSL
Gabriel Medina is a force in the surfing world. And with today’s 12th annual release of the 100 most influential people in the world, TIME Magazine has put him into a whole different realm. His reach extends far beyond surfing; Medina is the newest hope of an entire nation.
When Medina won his first surfing world title last year, it was heralded as Brazil’s first world title, and although another Brazilian won a world championship back in 2007, the claim stuck. And with that, Medina put put the final coat of paint on a house that had taken years to build. Brazil has long used athletes as polarizing figures in a fierce national pride, and South America’s stranglehold on the soccer pitch is quickly transferring its grip to the ocean, with Medina is at the reins.
Medina holds company on TIME’s list with figures like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Kanye West. He has become an icon in Brazil–he’s the oceanic equivalent of Pelé, who held the nation’s hearts in their hands every time he laced up his cleats. As surfing gains mounting popularity on a global scale, something that many surfers don’t want, Gabriel Medina has put an entire country on the watch list for the next up-and-coming talent.
According to TIME, from 2001 to 2011, the number of surfers increased by an astounding 35%, and in the next two years, surfing is on track to become a $13.2 billion global industry. With Brazil sitting on top of the list as South America’s most economically powerful nation, Medina has become much more than just a poster boy for surfing–he’s the poster boy for an economy-shaking business.
See the full TIME 100 list here, and watch BRINK, our documentary about the Brazilian storm, below.
