Gabriel Medina Has a New Sponsor…But It’s Not What You Think

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 7:37 PM ET

It’s been a month and change since Gabriel Medina parted ways with his sponsor, Rip Curl, a partnership that lasted 17 years through three-time world champ’s career.

And in that time, it’s been a mystery as to who will pick up the prime real estate on the beak of the Brazilian’s surfboard – will it be another legacy surf brand, or a mainstream non-endemic? In fact, 78% of SURFER readers speculated that it will be the latter.

In the interim, however, Medina has picked up a new sponsor. It won’t be the marquee brand, covering him head-to-toe. And it’s something perhaps unexpected.

View this post on Instagram

The brand is Sorvetes Los Los, an ice cream outfit out of São Paulo, Brazil. And in their announcement revealing Medina as their latest ambassador, they wrote:

“What happens when someone who seeks the perfect maneuver meets someone who makes the most absurdly good ice cream? It's a perfect match.

“Gabriel Medina has spent his life rising from the shallows to the top. We don't stop until we deliver true flavor in every ice cream we create. Each of us is in our own lane, but with the same goal: always more.

“Now it's official: Medina is partnered with LOS LOS. Because, for us, if it's going to stay shallow, we don't even go in the water!

“Our wave is true flavor!”

So, not a new main sponsor entirely; but something. And they must have deep pockets in order to land an athlete of Medina’s caliber. That, or the three-time champ just really loves ice cream. Either way, Medina’s getting his sticker count up ahead of his return to full-time competition on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour come April.

View this post on Instagram

In other news, Medina recently went snowboarding for the first time ever – see below. Could this mean he’s flirting with a brand that extends beyond surfing? Perhaps Red Bull and Nike, like his fellow countryman Italo Ferreira?

Stay tuned.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: