The story behind Gabriel Medina’s unbelievable Teahupoo photo
Jérôme Brouillet was at the right place and at the right time – Teahupoo, Tahiti, 9:30:38 a.m., July 29, 2024.
The breathtaking photo of Gabriel Medina seemingly floating in the air, pointing towards the sky, with his surfboard perfectly parallel to him, went viral around the globe in a matter of hours.
Was it a stroke of luck? Had it all been strategically planned?
The image captured by the 39-year-old French photographer looked so unreal that some people thought it might have been edited with Photoshop.
But it wasn’t – this was a real moment of Olympic magic that could be hung and displayed forever in the Louvre Museum.
Gabriel Medina was competing in Round 3 against Jack Robinson at the infamous reef pass of Teahupoo. On his second ride, the Brazilian caught a huge wave and got slingshot out of a huge five-meter barrel.
Before launching into the air, the three-time world champion raised his two hands to ask for a Perfect 10 from the judging panel.
Jérôme Brouillet, the photographer who took the stunning shot, was on a boat near the action.
He knew Medina often did exciting tricks at the end of his rides, so he was ready with his camera.
One of Four Shots
When Medina soared into the air, Brouillet snapped several photos, and one of them became the iconic image.
“The conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected,” Brouillet told The Guardian.
Jérôme was not surprised by Medina’s superhero-style kickout, so he held his breath and prepared to press the button.
“So he is at the back of the wave, and I can’t see him, and then he pops up, and I took four pictures, and one of them was this one.”
“I and the other photographers on the boat were supposing he was going to make a kick-out, and that’s what he did.”
“It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave.”
Viral in Hours
As soon as the photo was shared, it went viral.
People all over the world were amazed by the image, and it spread quickly on social media.
Brouillet was surprised by how popular the photo became.
“I took [out] my phone, and I had so many notifications about Instagram and stuff like that. I just clicked, and I saw an unusual number of followers following me.”
“So I guessed something was happening, and then saw first a post from Brazil with the shot, and then it goes – I don’t know how to say in English – in the vortex, and then it goes viral. Amazing, surprising.”
“I was just checking my phone on the six-minute break after the shoot, and I had lots of notifications on social media, and I thought something was happening with this shot, and it was shared on ESPN, and I thought: ‘cool.'”
Jérôme Brouillet never thought it was possible that this photo would be so much appreciated, but he understands why.
“The alignment of Gabriel and the board – some have tried to say it’s Photoshopped, but no, Gabriel and the board are just aligned like that, with the leash connecting the two [elements],” the French photographer told The Washington Post.
“Like me, he did not know that this shot would turn around the world like this.”
“For him, it was just another climb up the wave like he does every time, and I was just shooting him like I do every time.”
“So, I was like, ‘Okay, good shot. I will send it to the editor.’ And then, one hour after, it’s, ‘Wow.’ The storm.”
The Defining Paris 2024 Photo
The memorable image of Gabriel Medina hovering above the ocean with a cloudy sky in the background has helped bring more attention to surfing at the Olympics.
Surfing only became an Olympic sport in Tokyo 2020, so moments like this will make the sport more popular worldwide.
The picture of Medina mid-air has become one of the defining images of Paris 2024, if not the photo of the Olympics.
“It’s very cool, it’s a nice shot, and lots of people love it. It’s not really a surf photograph, so it captures the attention of more people,” stated Jérôme Brouillet.
“I got the shot of the day. I was with six talented photographers on the boat, and for sure, everyone will forget about it next week. Tomorrow won’t be any different.”
“I like to say that taking pictures is a bit like surfing. It’s a mix of preparation, devotion, timing, some experience, and a touch of luck,” he wrote.
“That day, Gabriel was in the water at the right place, at the right time, and so was I.”
After his stellar performance in Tahiti, Medina expressed his gratitude by quoting a Bible verse on Instagram.
“I can do everything through Him who strengthens me.”
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
