Brazilian surfer wins at perfect Cloudbreak

FIJI – Brazilian Gabriel Medina has staked his claim for another world surfing title after winning a second Fiji Pro in classic Cloudbreak waves on Friday.

Medina moved into second place on the world championship rankings behind Australia’s Matt Wilkinson, who he beat in the final.

The world’s best surfers were again presented with huge barrelling waves at Cloudbreak.

Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater had been a standout during the event until he was beaten by Medina in the semi-finals.

Wilkinson managed to overcome Hawaiian tube-riding gun John John Florence in the quarter-finals before defeating his close mate Adrian Buchan in the semi-finals.

The Australian struggled to find the right waves in the final while Medina claimed two high-scoring tube rides to win the final 15.60 to 6.34.

“I’m really tired right now but so happy to beat Wilko as he has been surfing so well,” Medina said after his win.

Earlier three-time world champion Mick Fanning, in his first event since returning from a break, bowed out in the quarter-finals losing to Buchan.

The Fiji Pro brought down the curtain on the career of 19-year tour veteran Taj Burrow who went down narrowly to Florence in a high-scoring heat in round three.

The tour now moves to the J-Bay Open in South Africa next month where Fanning will return to surf at Jeffrey’s Bay where last year he survived a shark attack.

Inspired by the loss of a mate, veteran surfer Kelly Slater produced a near perfect display to charge into the quarter-finals of the Fiji Pro on Thursday.

The 11-time world champion took full advantage of classic conditions at Fiji’s Cloudbreak to post a 9.77 ride followed by a perfect 10 in an awesome display of tube riding.

Slater’s total of 19.77 was the highest of the day as he beat Brazilians Adriano de Souza and Wiggolly Dantas to advance through to the final eight.

He dedicated his win to fellow Floridan surfer Robert Rohman who died from a rare pulmonary disease just hours before Slater paddled out.

Slater, the most successful surfer to compete on the world tour, was in the unfamiliar position of 35th on the world rankings heading into the Fijian events.

The winner of 54 world championship events only registered two 25th placings and a 13th from the first three events of the year. But after skipping the last contest in Rio, a recharged Slater had looked unbeatable at Cloudbreak until his semi-final loss to the eventual winner Medina.

- ABC