After a firework-filled Finals Day where progressive surfing reigned supreme, Brazilian Gabriel Medina is still the World No. 1 and still the man to beat coming out of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
Medina had a chance to clinch his second World Title at Supertubes, needing a first place finish to walk away with double hardware -- the event win and overall title -- but an explosive Italo Ferreira bested him in the Semifinals and went on to win the event with a high-scoring aerial approach.
Gabriel Medina - WSL / Laurent Masurel
Advancing to the Quarterfinals at Supertubes, Australian Julian Wilson jumped up the leaderboard to the two spot, while Brazilian Filipe Toledo slipped a position back to third.
Now the title race is officially heading to Hawaii where the final event of the season, the Billabong Pipe Masters, will be the field of play that determines the 2018 World Champion.
2018 Men's CT World Title Scenarios:
-If Gabriel Medina finishes 1st or 2nd at Pipeline he wins the World Title.
-If Gabriel Medina places 3rd at Pipeline, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need a 1st to win the World Title.
-If Gabriel Medina finishes 5th or worse at Pipeline, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need to make the final to win the World Title.
History:
-Medina has met Wilson in the finals at Pipe before, in 2014, where Julian won the event but Medina won the World Title.
-Medina made the Pipe finals again in 2015, where he lost to Adriano de Souza, that year's World Champ.
-Toledo's best result at Pipe was 5th place in 2014.
Scenarios: 2018 Men's World Title
WSL
After a firework-filled Finals Day where progressive surfing reigned supreme, Brazilian Gabriel Medina is still the World No. 1 and still the man to beat coming out of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
Medina had a chance to clinch his second World Title at Supertubes, needing a first place finish to walk away with double hardware -- the event win and overall title -- but an explosive Italo Ferreira bested him in the Semifinals and went on to win the event with a high-scoring aerial approach.
Advancing to the Quarterfinals at Supertubes, Australian Julian Wilson jumped up the leaderboard to the two spot, while Brazilian Filipe Toledo slipped a position back to third.
Now the title race is officially heading to Hawaii where the final event of the season, the Billabong Pipe Masters, will be the field of play that determines the 2018 World Champion.
2018 Men's CT World Title Scenarios:
-If Gabriel Medina finishes 1st or 2nd at Pipeline he wins the World Title.
-If Gabriel Medina places 3rd at Pipeline, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need a 1st to win the World Title.
-If Gabriel Medina finishes 5th or worse at Pipeline, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need to make the final to win the World Title.
History:
-Medina has met Wilson in the finals at Pipe before, in 2014, where Julian won the event but Medina won the World Title.
-Medina made the Pipe finals again in 2015, where he lost to Adriano de Souza, that year's World Champ.
-Toledo's best result at Pipe was 5th place in 2014.
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