Already enjoying what may be the best season of his stellar career, Gabriel Medina has won the 2021 ESPY Award for Best Men's Action Sports Athlete.
Carissa Moore was nominated for Best Women's Action Sports Athlete, but those honors ultimately went to snowboarder Chloe Kim.
Taking place in New York City on July 10, the 29th annual ESPN sports awards show celebrates the year's best "players, moments, coaches and games."
Medina edged out supercross rider Cooper Webb and snowboards Yuto Totsuka and Marcus Kleveland to earn his first ESPY. He was also nominated for an ESPY in 2019, but lost out to skateboard Nyjah Huston.
Medina currently sits number one one the WSL Leaderboard. Most recently, he was the first surfer to clinch a spot in the WSL Final Five and will now be competing for a World Title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles this September.
With a rock solid performance at the Surf Ranch, Medina has earned his spot in this September's Rip Curl WSL Finals and will now contend for his third World Title.
Medina will also be representing his native Brazil in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics as surfing makes its debut at the Games. Given the form he's been in all year long, he stands the very real chance of becoming surfing's Olympic gold medalist.
The first surfer to win an ESPY was Sofía Mulánovich back in 2005. She'll be representing her home country of Peru at the Olympics.
"The ESPYs are the academy awards for sports -- it's a huge honor," explained seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore when she was nominated for an ESPY in 2018. Gilmore has won two ESPYs, the most of any surfer. And like Medina and Mulánovich, we'll see her in Japan this summer flying the Australian flag.
The next Championship Tour event will be the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, which takes place Aug 10 - 20, 2021.
The following is a list of surfers nominated for previous ESPY awards:
Best Male and Female Action Sport Athlete
2004 - Action sports athlete category added; Layne Beachley nominated
2005 - Andy Irons nominated, Sofia Mulanovich wins
2006 - Kelly Slater nominated
2007 - Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley nominated
2008 - Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2009 - Kelly Slater nominated, Maya Gabeira wins
2010 - Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2011 - Kelly Slater nominated, Stephanie Gilmore wins
2012 - Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore nominated
2013 - Stephanie Gilmore wins
2014 - Grant Baker, Carissa Moore nominated
2015 - Paige Alms nominated
2016 - Keala Kennelly, Carissa Moore nominated
2017 - John John Florence, Tyler Wright nominated
2018 - Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2019 - Gabriel Medina, Stephanie Gilmore nominated
Best Record-Breaking Performance
2007 - Kelly Slater nominated
Medina Wins 2021 ESPY For Best Men's Action Sports Athlete
Jake Howard
Already enjoying what may be the best season of his stellar career, Gabriel Medina has won the 2021 ESPY Award for Best Men's Action Sports Athlete.
Carissa Moore was nominated for Best Women's Action Sports Athlete, but those honors ultimately went to snowboarder Chloe Kim.
Taking place in New York City on July 10, the 29th annual ESPN sports awards show celebrates the year's best "players, moments, coaches and games."
Medina edged out supercross rider Cooper Webb and snowboards Yuto Totsuka and Marcus Kleveland to earn his first ESPY. He was also nominated for an ESPY in 2019, but lost out to skateboard Nyjah Huston.
Medina currently sits number one one the WSL Leaderboard. Most recently, he was the first surfer to clinch a spot in the WSL Final Five and will now be competing for a World Title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles this September.
Medina will also be representing his native Brazil in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics as surfing makes its debut at the Games. Given the form he's been in all year long, he stands the very real chance of becoming surfing's Olympic gold medalist.
The first surfer to win an ESPY was Sofía Mulánovich back in 2005. She'll be representing her home country of Peru at the Olympics.
"The ESPYs are the academy awards for sports -- it's a huge honor," explained seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore when she was nominated for an ESPY in 2018. Gilmore has won two ESPYs, the most of any surfer. And like Medina and Mulánovich, we'll see her in Japan this summer flying the Australian flag.
The next Championship Tour event will be the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, which takes place Aug 10 - 20, 2021.
The following is a list of surfers nominated for previous ESPY awards:
Best Male and Female Action Sport Athlete
2004 - Action sports athlete category added; Layne Beachley nominated
2005 - Andy Irons nominated, Sofia Mulanovich wins
2006 - Kelly Slater nominated
2007 - Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley nominated
2008 - Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2009 - Kelly Slater nominated, Maya Gabeira wins
2010 - Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2011 - Kelly Slater nominated, Stephanie Gilmore wins
2012 - Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore nominated
2013 - Stephanie Gilmore wins
2014 - Grant Baker, Carissa Moore nominated
2015 - Paige Alms nominated
2016 - Keala Kennelly, Carissa Moore nominated
2017 - John John Florence, Tyler Wright nominated 2018 - Stephanie Gilmore nominated
2019 - Gabriel Medina, Stephanie Gilmore nominated
Best Record-Breaking Performance
2007 - Kelly Slater nominated
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