Griffin Colapinto Ends Gabe Medina's 2024 World Title Hopes
Ask most world champions and they'll tell you, more often than not, titles are won in the tiny, overlooked moments. The devil's in the details, even in the era of the one-day, winner-take-all WSL Finals. In three weeks time, San Clemente's Griffin Colapinto will try to become the first Californian to win a title since Tom Curren. And today, he inched towards that goal when he beat Gabriel Medina in the quarterfinals of the Fiji Pro.
Medina's been the in-form surfer of the event thus far, but when Colapinto unleashed a searing series of backhand hacks and dropped an 8-point ride on the Olympic bronze medalist early in the quarters, an air of desperation wafted over the Cloudbreak like a low-tide stink. Trying to dig himself out of a hole in one fell swoop, Medina took to the air ... it didn't work. Colapinto took the heat on the strength of his rail, not a hail Mary.
The final event of the 2024 Championship Tour season, Medina needed to at least make the final of the Fiji Pro to have a shot of qualifying for the WSL Finals. Colapinto stopped his campaign dead in its tracks. So, for now, Medina holds with three world titles.
Related: Gabriel Medina Goes Beast Mode. Can He Pull off a Finals Day Fairytale? (Video)
But it wasn't just another heat win and ticket into the semifinals for Colapinto. By taking Medina out of the world title picture, he makes his own bid for his first world title a bit easier. Facing Medina on the WSL Finals stage at Lowers? That's a tall order for anyone. Lest we forget, Medina's last title came on the shores of San Clemente. And now the California kid doesn't have to deal with any of that smoke. He put the fire out before it ever got started.
It's also worth pointing out, top-ranked John John Florence and Italo Ferreira both came up short at Cloudbreak today, while a surging Yago Dora and steady Ethan Ewing held the line. The Final Five picture is finally starting to crystalize ... and after what Colapinto did today, he has to feel good about his shot at a title ... a lot.
World Title speculating, Colapinto versus Florence at Lowers is a toss up with the advantage probably landing with the hometown hero and the raging fans on the beach. He can go toe-to-toe with Ewing as well, but Colapinto learned heaps from his one-and-done showing last year. Should Dora go on to qualify for the big dance, that's a bit of a goofy-footed wildcard, but again, you have to like Colapinto's odds in that match-up.
The last three years of the WSL Finals have showed us that experience and momentum matter. Colapinto has both in his back pocket right now.
Related: Kelly Slater Eliminated From Fiji Pro, Is This the End of an Era?
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