TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (Tuesday, August 27, 2019) – The Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o presented by Hurley, the seventh stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Men’s Championship Tour (CT), has seen a groundbreaking day of competition take place in heaving, six-to-ten foot barrels at one of the world’s heaviest waves, Teahupo’o.

The excitement of the massive and dangerous surf was only elevated by the shakeup on the 2019 Jeep Leaderboard with some of the biggest World Title threats bowing out of the event early while a new crop of hopefuls progressed into the Quarterfinals. Reigning two-time WSL Champion and reigning Tahiti event winner Gabriel Medina (BRA) came into stop seven on this years CT sitting in seventh spot on the rankings.

Fresh off a win at the recent Corona Open J-Bay event, the exciting young goofy-footer prepared for his heat by watching every surfer who sits above him on the rankings fall out of the draw. Brimming with confidence, Medina went on to take out his Round of 32 heat over Ezekiel Lau (HAW) but left his best performance, and that of the contest, for his Round of 16 wins where he posted a near-perfect heat total of 19.23 from only two waves.

This score included a perfect 10.00 point ride, the first of the 2019 men’s season. Medina will now take on Jeremy Flores (FRA) in Quarterfinal 3 as he looks to well and truly place himself in the World Title conversation.

Caio Ibelli (BRA), 2019 CT Rookie Seth Moniz (HAW), former event winner Jeremy Flores (FRA) and CT comeback kid Jadson Andre (BRA) all displayed brilliance in the challenging conditions to progress into the Quarterfinals which will run tomorrow as we look to crown our 2019 event winner at the Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o presented by Hurley.