Viral images like Medina levitating after scoring 9,9 at Teahupoo and going viral around the world, outside the limited space of surfing fans, “are exactly what the sport needs right now,” said Eric Stanton, senior director of extreme sports consultancy ActionWatch to the surfing business website, Shop Eat Surf.

According to Stanton, the image may not increase sales, but it does increase participation in surfing by non-surfing audiences. According to the consultancy's own data, surfing had lost 8% of participation in 2020 and after Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) it increased by 6% (2021-2022 period), and in the following period it continued to grow, by 5%.

“It may not move the sales needle but moments like Medina’s may inspire new and more casual surfers who joined the sport recently to dust off their boards and hit the water,” the note says. It adds, quoting Stanton: “I think the viral moments at the Olympics will get pandemic surfers to revisit the gear they bought in 2020 and get back on the beach.”

Vice President of Talent and Marketing Stefani Chinn agreed: “Images like Medina’s resonate more with new and younger surfers.”

“Viral moments like this appeal to a wide audience, especially at a time when everyone is watching sports. We’re thrilled that the world is seeing Gabriel and this unique aspect of surfing – his physical ability and the beauty of the environment he was captured in certainly appeal to a wide demographic,” Chinn added.

For his part, Josh Hansen of Hansen Surfboards said it is still early to know how much the image of Medina and the Olympics will impact the industry. “I think it can only help because there are more people watching the games, but it is hard to say exactly.”

Searches for “surfing” during the Tokyo Olympics peaked in 2021. Data on the impact of Olympic surfing on Google and social media have not yet been revealed.