Preseason Surfer Profile: Gabriel Medina

Gabriel Medina, Brazil

2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 1

2015 World Ranking: 2

2015 WCT Wins: 1

It was really a tale of two seasons for Medina in 2015. I have to admit that a 25^th and three 13ths in his first five events last season had me scratching my head. Had he enjoyed the offseason a little too much following his remarkable 2014 World Title season? Was 2014 an aberration? These questions were running through my head, but really I just thought that we had a sleeping giant on our hands with too much talent to continue his struggles. It turns out that Medina was that sleeping giant, and a fifth-place finish at J-Bay seemed to signal his awakening. Medina would make at least the quarterfinals in the final six events of the season, again resembling the wunderkind that we saw dominate in 2014.

Gabriel Medina could be about to embark on a run to his second World Title.
Courtesy of A Scott

You could argue that Medina is the most dangerous surfer currently on tour. He can post 10s in so many different conditions thanks to his versatile game. He’s probably the last guy I would want to draw in a random heat to be surfed at a random WCT location. Medina made a name for himself early on with ridiculous airs that a guy of his size usually can’t pull off with such altitude and style. I think a lot of people started to think of him simply as an aerial guy for a bit, but he’s since proven that he can turn it up in a variety of ways in a plethora of conditions.

Medina has a ridiculous backside rail game that makes him a serious threat in any right-heavy event, such as J-Bay, where he reached the quarters in 2015 and started his run. Some of the backside hacks he puts on rights are insane, and he has a smoothness and rhythm to his transitions that yearn for big scores and are often sated by numbers in the excellent range. Before 2014, Medina’s weakness was supposedly big-wave conditions, but his win that year in Fiji squashed that narrative pretty quickly. Just in case anyone saw that victory as a fluke, Gabby put on a show in Tahiti and took home top honors in some serious barrels there as well.

So to recap, Medina started the 2015 season very slowly, and was still in World Title contention at Pipe. That’s extremely hard to do, but the kid finished the year with a 5^th, 2^nd, 3^rd, 1^st, 5^th and 2^nd. If he surfs anything like that for the duration of 2016 he will win his second World Title and make it three straight for Brazil. I still favored Mick Fanning slightly for the crown this season before he announced his abridged schedule, but I wouldn’t be remotely surprised to see Medina run away with the race in the wake of Mick’s decision. I expect John John Florence to be in the running in 2016, and that he and Medina will be battling it out for the World Title for years to come, but I favor Medina significantly right now due to his strategic nature in the lineup. It’s clear that Medina is a perennial World Title threat, and should be for the next decade or so barring major injury.

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Preseason Surfer Profile: Kelly Slater

Leading up to the 2016 World Surf League Championship Tour season, I will be counting down my projected Top 10 surfers for the highest level of men's competitive surfing. A preview of the women's 2016 season is also to come.

Kelly Slater, USA

2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 4

2015 World Ranking: 9

2015 WCT Wins: 0

Kelly may be the king, be he didn’t surf like it last season. The guy is 44 years old and it’s incredible that he’s still competing at a high level on the World Tour. However, Slater did not look like the competitor that we’re accustomed to seeing last year. Kelly didn’t win a single WCT contest in 2015, but what’s even more surprising is that he didn’t even make a final. He finished third in Fiji, his home away from home, and he netted fifths at Margaret River, Tahiti and Pipe. Kelly was also able to win the Volcom Pipe Pro, a QS event, last month. Sensing a theme here? Is it possible that Slater is only truly dangerous in big barrels at this point in his career?

Could 2016 be Kelly Slater's best chance for another World Title?
Courtesy of Oziel Marchon

To be honest, I’m not willing to bet against the best surfer in the history of the sport, but his 2015 campaign did give me a moment of pause. Slater did not have those magical moments that we’re used to seeing, pulling out heats in the final seconds with seemingly impossible scores. We need to take into consideration that he was dealing with some nagging injuries last year, to the extent that he even considered skipping the European leg of the tour. He toughed it out an looked good at Pipe before going down in the quarters, but his doing well at Pipe is certainly no surprise.

Many fans have been cringing for years now, nervous that they’ll see a statement from Kelly that he’s hanging it up from the World Tour. It hasn’t happened yet, and would anyone be truly shocked if he bounced back in a big way in 2016 and contended for the world title? Still, his finishing ninth in the world rankings last year felt odd, and hopefully it’s not the beginning of the end for the best of the best. With Mick Fanning only surfing select events in 2016, maybe this is Kelly's best shot to win one more World Title. However, we can't be sure Kelly is going to surf every event in 2016, and this is a big reason that he's not ranked higher here. Regardless what Kelly does this season, every surfing fan should appreciate each wave we get to see this guy ride. 

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Preseason Surfer Profile: Filipe Toledo

Leading up to the 2016 World Surf League Championship Tour season, I will be counting down my projected Top 10 surfers for the highest level of men's competitive surfing. A preview of the women's 2016 season is also to come.

Filipe Toledo, Brazil

2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 6

2015 World Ranking: 4

2015 WCT Wins: 3

Filipe Toledo is arguably the most exciting surfer on tour. When he has the chance to take to the air, everybody on the beach collectively holds their breath. Toledo experienced a serious breakout year in 2015, winning two of the first four stops on the World Tour on his way to finishing fourth in the rankings at year’s end. He had a shot at the World Title going into Pipe, but so did several others surfers. While Toledo is known for his air game, he continues to improve the other facets of his surfing each year. A ninth-place finish in Tahiti and a 13^th in Fiji show that he’s improving his barrel riding, something that needs to continue if he wants to win a World Title.

Filipe Toledo, doing what he does best and going to the air.
Courtesy of Steven Tyler PJs

Toledo is no longer just an aerial specialist, which makes him a contender in 2016. However, I see a bit of regression coming in his ranking, mostly due to the positives I expect from guys that could leapfrog him in the ranks more than any negatives relating to Toledo. Filipe is still just 20 years old, though, and if he makes significant strides at certainly tour stops this season he could end up winning the World Title. I don’t think I can remember a season in which there were so many legitimate World Title contenders. Hell, Brazil has three on its own. Toledo is a must-see surfer in rampy conditions, and if he can continue to get better at other events on tour he could very well be hoisting the hardware next winter. 

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Teahupoo Goes Off

Lots of happy maniacs in Tahiti right now.  Check out the photos.