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His biggest idol is Ayrton Senna, even though he was born in 1993, months before the death of the Brazilian driver, Medina has the three-time Formula 1 world champion as his biggest idol in the sport. "He's a guy that I take as an inspiration. And a lot of people have said that we have a similar personality, after that I started looking for his story more"

First Brazilian surfing world champion, before Medina, only Americans, Australians and Hawaiians had won the competition, the best placed Brazilian before Medina was Victor Ribas, a surfer born in Cabo Frio, known as Vitinho due to his short stature. 1.60 m, which ended the 1999 season in 3rd place.

A partner (long ago) of Neymar, from the coast of São Paulo, the Brazilian idols met when the star of the Brazilian team was still playing for Santos. The friendship remains firm to this day. This year, after the end of the relationship with Bruna Marquezine, Neymar chose to take advantage of his free time and cool off by honoring his friend at a tournament in Portugal.

Before participating in the last stage of the World Surfing Tour (WCT), Medina received support from personalities such as Anitta, Gisele Bündchen, Luciano Huck and Pelé in a video shared on social networks. Even though he is a low profile guy, Medina is identified as a personality of this caliber. Deservedly.

In an interview with Esporte Fantástico, a program on TV Record, Gabriel Medina pointed to Candice Swanepoel as the woman of his dreams. Medina has already said in interviews that he really likes to sing in karaoke. The Brazilian is more successful than his great inspiration in surfing on Instagram: in the dispute for followers, there are 6.6 million to 2.3 million followers.

Pelé made his debut in the Brazilian national team a year before reaching the age of majority. Neymar, ditto. In the field of surfing, Gabriel Medina also joined the world's elite at the same age. Is it mere coincidence? Despite the coincidences with the Santos stars, Medina supports Corinthians, including the club from São Paulo congratulated him on his second World Championship.

Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira, known worldwide as Gabriel Medina, is a two-time world champion professional surfer. He was born on December 23, 1993, in São Sebastião, on the coast of São Paulo. With a brilliant trajectory in surfing throughout his adolescence, Medina reached the elite of world surfing when he was just 17 years old. In 2014, at 20, he became the first Brazilian professional surfing world champion. In the next three years, he was twice 3rd in the world championships and once runner-up.

In 2018, Gabriel Medina became a two-time surfing world champion. The third title was close in 2019, but the surfer from Maresias lost the final of the last stage to compatriot Italo Ferreira. After a year without Tour due to the pandemic. Gabriel Medina came back with everything in 2021, the paulista was largely dominant. This season, the WSL implemented the new Finals system, generating some dissatisfaction with the fact that Medina was the best athlete of the entire year and would have been world champion much earlier. However, in such a special season for Medina, he was also dominant in the 2021 WSL Finals, beating compatriot Filipe Toledo in the grand final to become three-time world champion.

Gabriel Medina began his surfing journey at the age of 9, when he was given his first board by his stepfather Charles. Upon realizing Gabriel's talent, Charles left the running of the family's surf products store in Maresias, on the coast of São Paulo, to his wife Simone and became the young surfer's coach. According to Charles, Gabriel still couldn't do tricks, but he distributed his body weight over his legs in a different way than other boys his age. Thus, he made the board gain more speed.

In February 2017, the first Brazilian surfing world champion inaugurated the Gabriel Medina Institute, at Praia de Maresias, in São Sebastião-SP. The headquarters was built with own resources. The institute's objective is to provide a high level of physical, psychological, medical and technological structure for young surfers, between 10 and 17 years old, from the Maresias region. The only requirements are attendance at training and school (after shifts). Gabriel's mother, Simone Medina is the president of the institute, which initially supported the development of 38 athletes.

Early reports say that surfing was introduced to Hawaii by the Polynesian King Tahito. Others say that the Peruvian peoples already practiced the sport with canoes. But the first record was made by the English navigator James Cook, who claimed to be a relaxation sport practiced on wooden planks. As the boards were manufactured by the surfers themselves, they believed that by making them they transmitted positive energies to them, and by using them, all negative energies were released. The practice of surfing was considered a “cult to the spirit of the sea”.

Considered the father of modern surfing, Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was swimming champion at the 1912 Olympics, where he promoted Hawaii and surfing, described as the practice of riding on waves with wooden boards. This fact attracted international recognition to the small American archipelago and to the sport, and also made Duke become the greatest disseminator of surfing in history. In 1913, Duke introduced the sport to the United States. Duke died in 1989 at the age of 94 and has a statue in his honor on Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.

Legend has it that the famous and traditional gesture that surfers use to greet each other was started by an ancient Hawaiian king who used to wave to his audience while surfing. The point is that the king only had his little finger and thumb, which made the gesture popular among surfers. The expression “Hang Loose” appeared in the 1950s, but only came to prominence in the 60s and 70s. It means “to stay calm and quiet”.

The longest board in the world measures 42 feet and weighs nearly 600 pounds. It was used to break the world record for the most people surfing the same board at once. The feat took place on June 20, 2015, in Huntington Beach, California, with a total of 66 people. The board is currently displayed as a cultural tribute at the International Surfing Museum located in Huntington Beach. The previous record was 47 people on a board 12 meters long, 3 meters wide and 30 centimeters thick, held in Queensland, Australia. The two boards were manufactured by Australian Nev Heyman, who broke his own record.

In the 19th century, surfing was banned by Christians, who believed that the activity was pagan. The surfboard made of fiberglass was invented in the 1940s, during World War II. The creator of this revolutionary board was Californian Robert Simmons. From 1980, a world industry specialized in surfing emerged, including the creation of the world circuit. The first surf championships in Brazil took place in 1975, in Ubatuba (Sao Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro.

The surfer who won more prizes and money with the sport was Kelly Slater, consecrated world champion for 11 times. The American earned over $700,000 in prize money in just one year, not counting sponsor money. Kelly Slater, 11-time world champion in 2009, ended the year with $3 million. Kelly Slater was the first surfer to score two perfect 10's (when all judges give full marks) in a World Tour heat. It happened in Tahiti in 2005.

In 2016, surfer, world champion, John John Florence was the highest paid. The Hawaiian earned US$ 6.1 million in the year, around R$ 21 million. Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina earned US$5.5 million in 2016, or approximately R$19 million. The record for the longest natural wave ever ridden is 37 minutes on a pororoca, a tidal wave on the Amazon River. The record for the largest number of people surfing on a single board is 66. In 2015, all these people climbed on a huge board of about 13 meters and 600 kilos in Huntington Beach, California. They were standing for 12 seconds.

Donald Dettloff is the guy who owns the most surfboards in the world. That's 647 (we're jealous), which are in Hawaii, where he lives. Donald took 15 years to make the collection, and some boards are used as part of a fence around the surfer's house. The record for the most surfboards stacked on a car is 282. The car only traveled 30.4 meters near Santa Barbara, California. The first woman to ride a wave in Waimea Bay, Hawaii was Linda Benson. In 1959, aged just 15, the American paddled on the most revered surf spot of the time. Linda was also the first woman to appear on the cover of a surfing magazine.

Dogs surf too! In Huntington Beach, California, the annual “City Surf Dog” contest takes place, the largest of its kind, which raises money for animal care organizations. Basically, canine participants are judged on how confident they are and how long they stand on the board. It even has the participation of Bono, the Brazilian labrador who is five times champion of the contest!

According to a 2015 study, surfers are three times more likely than the general population to develop melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. This happens precisely because of the long periods of exposure to the Sun. Therefore, skin protection is so important for fans of this sport. Another important factor to take into account is the choice of the ideal product – after all, in surfing, it is essential to use a sunscreen that is water resistant.

Filipe Toledo, better known as Filipinho, is a Brazilian professional surfer born in Ubatuba, São Paulo, on April 16, 1995. The athlete is part of the Brazilian Storm, or Brazilian Storm, a group of Canadian surfers who have been breaking out in recent years . Filipinho joined the World Surfing League (WSL) in 2013 when he was just 17 years old. Before that, the São Paulo player was already playing in lesser championships. His best placement achieved in the Surfing World Cup was the world title won in 2022 at the WSL Finals, beating his compatriot Ítalo Ferreira in the final.

Surfing is in the Toledo family's blood. And it would not differ with Philip. Son of Ricardo, two-time Brazilian surf champion in the 1990s and younger brother of Matheus, champion of São Paulo in 2010, Filipinho took a liking to the sport from an early age. In interviews, he often tells that he was put on a board with only 10 months of birth! At the age of six, he was already enjoying surfing on his own initiative. His homeland also helped. After all, Ubatuba is a coastal municipality located in the state of São Paulo. It wouldn't take long for the paulista to start acting professionally.

Before joining the elite of professional surfers, Filipinho already stood out at a young age. His two main youth titles were the ISA World Junior, held in Peru, and the Pro Junior US Open, in the United States. In 2013, he finally made his debut on the World Surfing Circuit (WSL), with a 3rd place on the Quiksilver Pro France stage. At the end of the season, he ranked 15th overall, just behind countrymen Gabriel Medina and Adriano de Souza.

In 2015, Filipe emerged for good. The São Paulo native won 1st place in three stages (Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Oi Rio Pro and Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal), won a historic 4th final position and entered the hall of the best surfers today. 2018 was a very good year for Filipinho. Toledo secured two big wins in the Oi Pro Rio and Corona Open J-Bay stages, he finished the World Tour in 3rd place, his best position up to that moment.

In 2019, Filipe maintained the good pace of competition and was once again among the Top 5 best surfers in the world, the Brazilian finished in fourth place. The number 77 shirt also won the Saquarema stage in Rio for the second consecutive year. After the year 2020 without the tour, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2021 the competitions came back with everything. In a year inspired by Brazilians and with a new format to decide the champion, Filipe hit the post.

In 2021 Toledo won two stages in the season, Margaret River and Surf Ranch. Thus, he finished in 3rd place in the WSL ranking, defeating Conner Coffin and then Ítalo Ferreira, guaranteed the right to face Gabriel Medina in the grand final. Filipinho's plans, who ended up in 2nd place.

In 2022 Filipe Toledo came with everything and the lycra 77 made the final in five events and won two titles. The first was at Bells, when the Brazilian went over Callum Robson in the decision. The second was the third consecutive championship in Saquarema in a local final against Samuel Pupo, to the delight of the beach. Thus, with an extremely regular and dominant year, Toledo arrived at the WSL Finals as a favorite, and left no chance for bad luck. This time facing Ítalo Ferreira in the decision, the São Paulo native won both heats and became world champion for the first time in his career.

When Filipinho is out of the water, he takes advantage of his free time to enjoy his family. The surfer is married to model Ananda Marçal and father of Mahina, 2 years old, and Koa, 10 months old. In 2015, the Toledo family decided to move to the city of San Clemente, California, in search of easier travel on the circuit. During the holidays, the man from Ubatuba usually comes to Brazil to visit his family and friends in his hometown, in Vitória, his wife's hometown, and in Rio de Janeiro.

Filipe Toledo has been a Corinthian since his mother's womb, the number 77 that the surfer carries on his lycra is a tribute to the team. In a video posted on Corinthians' Facebook page in 2015, Filipe explains that the choice is linked to the year 1977, when Corinthians became Paulista champions again after 23 years, with a goal by Basílio against Ponte Preta. Before choosing the 77, the athlete wanted the lycra with the 7 on the back, however, it had already been chosen by the Australian Mick Fanning. With that, he opted for doubling the number which, in addition to the connection with the Corinthians title, has a connection to perfection in the bible.

Filipe Toledo has been part of the Namaskar Project since 2018, created in 2005 by a couple of businessmen, the entity is affiliated with the non-governmental organization in India, AMURT-AMURTEL, which operates in more than 130 countries. The mission is to guarantee and promote the rights of children and adolescents through artistic, sports, socializing and training activities. The social project is made up of volunteer work and serves 300 people aged between 5 and 20, offering various workshops, including surfing. In addition, workshops are offered to parents as a way to generate income for families. The focus of the service is the needy community in the Sesmaria neighborhood, in Ubatuba, São Paulo.