As a kid, Gabriel Medina once lived on the north side of São Paulo and couldn’t afford to buy a real kite. So he flew a plastic bag instead. Now, the Brazilian is a three-time world champion, wildly famous, and an investor in the city’s $190-million wave pool, Beyond the Club in São Paulo.
Gabriel recently played host to Kelly Slater and gave him an honorary membership. The two traded lefts and rights powered by Wavegarden Cove tech. It’s the largest pool of its kind, with 62 modules capable of producing 25 different types of waves and generating up to 200-250 waves per hour. Plenty of options for the two champs.
The surf nerd in me can’t help but notice that the first board Gabriel pulled from his quiver was a Channel Islands, perhaps a Better Everyday by the look of the swallowtail. In all the years I’ve been following surfing, I’ve never seen Gabriel not on his faithful Cabianca. According to the video, he was inspired to get a 5’9” by another surfer who rips even smaller CIs. Any guesses on who that could be?
Hit play and watch the world champs bludgeon sections and Kelly attempt to eat a sugary strawberry. Come for the surfing, stay for the Linkin Park mic drop.
Related: Gabriel Medina Surfs “World’s Largest” Wave Pool After Injury (Video)