Watch: Gabriel Medina vs Italo Ferreira at Uluwatu. Who Wins?

Gabriel Medina freesurfs are too rare a sight. Apart from the odd Rip Curl boardshort ad or The Search campaign, we rarely see clips of the three-time world champ sans jersey and heat scores. Gabriel is a natural competitor, but it’s nice to see him surf without a judging criteria and belt one for belting’s sake.

This clip of Gabriel and fellow Brazilian world champion Italo Ferreira comes from the good folks at Surf N Sea Bali, who filmed the two while perched on the cliffside overlooking Uluwatu. The waves probably aren’t as big as they’d like, and it’s not the Terminator mode we’re used to seeing from Gabriel, but fret not. They do just fine.

Related: A Gabriel Medina Freesurf Clip? Yes, Please

The 9-minute, 51-second video also provides a glimpse of how the two would surf on a platform the Championship Tour has lacked for many years: a rippable high performance left. That is starting to change, with Cloudbreak and the Abu Dhabi wavepool on tap in 2025. However, Cloudbreak is reserved only for the top five surfers in the WSL Finals, and I’ll not get into the weeds of comparing Ulutatu to a saltwater version of the Surf Ranch.

It’s high time the WSL added a lefthand reef for the CT to tee off on. Uluwatu is as good a place to start as any. Gabriel probably wouldn’t mind it. His first wave in the clip features six turns and a Kerrupt flip. As you watch the clip, consider countering the freesurfing point made above: Who do you think won the heat, Gabriel or Italo?

Related: Italo Ferreira Surfs This Wavepool Like a Video Game (Clip)

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