If one were to, say, script a heat, they’d be hard pressed to script a better one than Gabriel Media versus Jack Robinson. One, a dark-eyed competitive powerhouse, fresh back from a hiatus and hungry to prove he’s still got it. The other a blonde-haired freak, a dark horse who still has something to prove in front of the judges. A world champ versus a potential world champ. Two of the most exciting surfers in the world, battling it out in waves that, on their day, can be some of the best in the world. But while the waves didn’t exactly show up with their finest party clothes on, Jack and Gabby sure did.
Things didn’t start off too well for Jack Robinson, though. On the first turn of his first wave in the heat, his board basically disintegrated. And while that would certainly be cause for a new shaper and some choice words for the Average Joe, for pros… well, it’s just another day. Their boards aren’t made to last. They’re made to perform. Jack Robinson certainly did go on to perform well, he didn’t perform quite well enough to beat Medina. Robinson was on the back of quite the heater, though — back-to-back wins at Margaret River and G-Land put him in a pretty damn good spot (second in the rankings at the beginning of El Salvador), but as always, one can never count Gabriel Medina out — unless he counts himself out. And since he’s back in a jersey, he’s definitely not doing that.
