Medina, Super Girl Pro & Otters: Surf News Roundup
In the world of surfing, big news often comes from the waves, but sometimes it’s even bigger on land. Three-time world champion Gabriel Medina announced he’s going to be a dad. The Brazilian surfer shared a simple, caption-less Instagram post featuring an ultrasound image of a baby on a surfboard. The post quickly drew congratulations from across the surfing world, with fellow surfers like Mick Fanning and Jack Robinson celebrating the news. Medina, 31, is expecting the child with his girlfriend, Isabella Arantes, a model and TV personality. The baby is due during the 2026 Championship Tour season, which coincides with Medina’s comeback from a pectoral injury. Medina’s return to competition is highly anticipated, as his last event was the 2024 Fiji Pro. Despite the injury, he declined a wildcard invitation for the 2025 Tahiti Pro, showing his focus on a full recovery. You can read the full story over at The Inertia.
Jacksonville Hosts Super Girl Surf Pro: The Largest Women's Surfing Contest
Mark your calendars for November 7-9, 2025, when Jacksonville Beach becomes the epicenter of women's surfing. The Super Girl Surf Pro, the largest female-only surfing competition series, will bring together 50 of the best female surfers from around the world. Competitors range from amateurs to world champions, selected based on past performance and rankings. The event is free for spectators and includes a festival village with food vendors and musical performances. Surfers will compete in heats, judged on technique, skill, and difficulty. The competition, which started in Oceanside, California, has expanded to Jacksonville since 2021, drawing more attention to women's surfing. It’s a fantastic opportunity for photographers to capture the best in women’s surfing. For more details, check out the coverage from The Florida Times-Union.
Santa Cruz Surfers Face Unusual Foes: Surfboard-Stealing Sea Otters
Surfers in Santa Cruz have a new reason to keep an eye on their boards. Sea otters have been hopping onto surfboards and swimming away with them, prompting the installation of warning signs at Steamer Lane. The signs, which read "Warning. Aggressive sea otter in this area. Enter the water at your own risk," were put up after multiple reports of otters commandeering boards. Last week, a 21-year-old college student, Isabella Orduna, was surfing when a sea otter nipped at her foot and then climbed onto her board. It took about 20 minutes for her and other beachgoers to get the otter off. The next day, another surfer had their board stolen by an otter that chased the board and pulled it backward by the leash. The otters seem to fixate on one board and ignore the rest. While the otters are just being playful, they’re causing a stir in the lineup. As one local put it, "They're in their territory, the otters, so they have every right to be there." You can read more on this quirky story at BroBible.