Why is there so much seething, vitriolic spite and hatred for such a young and clearly talented surfer? Photo: ASP/ Kirstin Scholtz
I’ll come right out and say it: Gabriel Medina is a worthy ASP world champion. If you’re evolved enough be able to see through the haze of racist, knuckle-dragger, monosyllabic anti-Brazilian sentiments plastered across surf sites and social media, you will agree that Medina won his title fair and square.
They didn’t cut the tour short like they did in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, so he does not deserve an asterisk next to his title…..“because he’s Brazilian.” I’m old enough to remember Fabio Gouveia and Flavio Padaratz leading the charge from the early days, and it was only a matter of time until a Brazilian of Medina’s caliber broke the hymen of surfing’s long-standing duopoly.
With the exception of Martin Potter in ’89, Shaun Tomson in ’77, and Felipe Pomar in 1965, professional surfing has, for all intents and purposes, always been a two-horse race between the Americans and Australians.
Now, in the spirit of Laird’s August 2000 Teahupoo barrel (dubbed the Millennium wave) or Slater’s 720 in Portugal, Medina has broken the psychological barrier for other Brazilians to view themselves as worthy world title contenders.
So why is there so much seething, vitriolic spite and hatred for such a young and clearly talented surfer? I believe Medina is paying the price for the perceived stereotype of Brazilians who show up to G-Land in groups of 20, hooting and hollering in Portuguese, and burning everyone in a 10-meter radius of the peak. I know that sort of thing has happened, but in all fairness, I have also seen plenty of American and Australian traveling surfers forget to check the rear view mirror before dropping in.
As an American ex-pat living in Australia, and as someone who has surfed on pretty much every continent except for Antarctica, I, for one, will stand up in defense of Medina and Brazilian surfing.
The racist jabs slung at “Gay-briel” for “sounding stupid” when he speaks English are unfair since English is not his first language. I am fortunate to speak Portuguese and, when I listen to his interviews in his mother tongue, I find him to be an articulate young man with a good heart and a healthy appreciation for the sport of surfing that transcends all cultural borders.
When the Brazilian contingency celebrated Medina’s title at Pipe, the online chatter sizzled with comments like “they’re a bunch of animals,” and “why can’t they just act like civilized people?”
So am I to believe that if Brazilians celebrate a victory in the heat of the moment, then they’re a bunch of hyper-nationalistic zealots? Did anyone get hurt? No. Perhaps the latest generation of racists are too young to remember the 1986 Op Pro riots in Huntington Beach where people actually DID get hurt. Or have we all forgotten the immortal words of that American icon of diplomacy Rodney King, “can’t we all just get along?”
No matter where you’re from or where your loyalties may lie, let’s all just agree that Medina is an immensely talented surfer, a humble young man, and a fine role model to the generations of surfers that will come after him.
Gabriel Medina’s world title was good for pro surfing. It raised the competitive bar. He will no doubt strive to defend his title in 2015 which will force the John Johns, Micks, Jordies, and Michels push the limits of their stratospheric talent!
