Gabriel sans Charlie
Recently, Gabriel Medina announced he was ditching stepfather Charlie as his coach, bringing to an end a succesful sixteen-year relationship.
"It will be a different year for me," says Gabs in the following interview with Waves magazine, Brazil. "It will be the first stage I go through without Charlao. He prepared me all this time to be independent some day."
However, Gabriel - who is 27 - won't be completely independent as he's currently sourcing a coach for the Australian leg, traditionally a lame stretch for him.
The interview also includes why he's splitting from Charlie, his take on Kelly's longevity, and going through quarantine in Australia ("It will be punk to go without surfing for two weeks!")
Click to read. The translation adds a few bumps but it's worth a squiz.
Comments
Good read. I agree with him on Trestles.
" the translation adds a few bumps but its worth a squiz"
the pipeline wave pool :)
Haven’t read the linked article, it won’t translate for me. But will future Wos events really be the same without Charlie paving the shore? As comical as he may seem, and as much as I dislike their tactics, (Charlie surely makes those suggestions to medina on interference to win a heat as an example), he is still an interesting character!
Or the incessant whistling & calling into waves.
We stopped having the coach on the field in U9s footy.
Jake Snake? Please let it be!
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan is the obvious choice for Gabs, especially if he's looking for continuity. His loud and brash persona on the beach would eclipse even that of Charlie's, as would his genius for diabolical tactics. And he'd be cleverer. And much funnier. Gabs is pro surfing's no. 1 'heel' and Heenan has proved to be peerless in guiding heels to greatness. Only concern for Gabs, especially with the advent of the title match up at Trestles, potentially against surfing's biggest 'face', JJF, is that Heenan's charges have occasionally come up short in the big one against crowd favourites. Witness King Kong Bundy against Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 2 and André The Giant (controversially) against Hogan at Wrestlemania 3. Heenan would still, however, be my number one choice.
There may be availability concerns in relation to Heenan, and if he's indisposed I'd turn to Ange Postecoglu. He understands the Brazilian cultural sensibility and I think he'd put a stop to Gabbie's hassling for the inside at the start of a heat. He'd have him 'playing out from the back', as it were, a form of 'Total Surfing'. Or better yet, Samba Surfing. This approach will be unlikely to realise silverware for Gabs, or even see him qualifying for finals day at Trestles, but will be occasionally very pretty to watch, and thus likely to endear him to the legions of WSL fans. Which will undoubtedly please Rip Curl and the WSL.
If Postecoglu can't agree to terms, then, at least for the Oz leg, I'd look towards Kevin Sheedy. A working class Catholic boy, there'd be an immediate connection with Gabs and his family and his millions of Insta followers. I think Sheedy would be a popular choice with ELO and Starky as he's famous for pushing his sport of choice into non traditional markets. On the down side, it's possible Sheedy's once razor sharp unconventional tactical nous and his infamous ruthless streak may have diminished with advancing years. But if nothing else he'd provide Gabs with the potential to gain Aussie followers and likes by mandating that Gabs participate in Aussie cultural touchstones such as the delights of the TAB and the Sport of Kings and the enthusiastic embrace of the Anzac Day Spirit.
New coach says to Gabs " Ok Gabriel you have the Air & Tube game nailed, the Ruthless-tactics part of heats nailed So how about we start working on your style so you don't look like so much of a crab? Might be worth an extra point!"
That's about all he'd need a coach for at this point i reckon.
An ex pro surfer as coach rather than a step dad for the last 5 years might have had him carving like JJF with more world titles to his name by now.
True victory comes from honesty, fair play and embracing international women's day.
LOL
Maybe Glen Hall ??
LOL!!
On the same wavelength as Roker, I'd prefer Miss Elizabeth, manager of Randy 'Macho Man' Savage (RIP), for her stunning looks over Charlie or even 'The Mouth of the South' Jimmy Hart, manager of the Hart Foundation (among others), for the ability of aggrieved wrestlers to mete out appropriate punishment to the Mouth when he over-stepped the mark.