![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Gabriel-Medina_26MargaretRiver_BRRL0869_Hannah-Anderson-1024x683.jpg\")
The other standout story line from Main Break was Crosby Colapinto’s Round Three victory over his older brother Griffin. The younger sibling evens the score after he lost in their only other CT match-up at Bells in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We caught up Crosby, Sammy Pupo and Medina after their Round Three victories. Check out those conversations below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crosby Colapinto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Importance of winning this heat against Griffin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, it was really important. I mean, every point matters in these contests, so it was pretty crucial. It was a bummer to knock my brother out, but it is what it is. This is a long season and we both want to be world champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to improve from a solid year in 2025 and what do you learn from previous experiences including today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think I’ll just keep doing my best surfing, showing up, believing in myself and just keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Favourite Format?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I like this year’s format. It gives everyone the opportunity to surf throughout the whole year, so that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How important is it to have a strong start after coming back from the CS?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, it\u2019s really important. I think a strong start is essential to build confidence in my surfing. Of course, there\u2019s always room to improve, but watching my brother win at Bells was the best day of my life. So I think we\u2019ve got a really good energy right now, not just me and him, but the whole team traveling with us. I\u2019m happy with my surfing, which is the main thing. If your surfing isn\u2019t there and you\u2019re not confident, everything changes. So I feel really confident, I just need to keep making the right decisions and hopefully the results will come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve been surfing well for years, but the results weren\u2019t always there. Now that everything is clicking, performance and results, how important is that for 2026?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s kind of crazy, to be honest. I feel like I\u2019ve been surfing well over the past few years, but the CT isn\u2019t just about surfing. You\u2019re competing against the best surfers and competitors in the world, so you need to be sharp competitively and have good strategy. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve really changed this year, having my coach with me and building specific strategies for each heat, and bringing my surfing into that. That combination makes a big difference. Making the right decisions, knowing there\u2019s a top competitor in the other jersey, and not underestimating anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talking about his coach<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve had a long-time relationship. He was the team manager at Rip Curl when I joined the brand at 13, so I\u2019ve known him for a long time. He was at Bells when I competed there as a wildcard for the first time, and eventually he became my coach. It took us a while to actually start working together, but when it happened, everything clicked. I really trust him in everything he says. I listen a lot, and I\u2019m also able to express what\u2019s going through my mind, my doubts, and we make decisions together. It’s making a huge difference for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenge of facing an Aussie in the next round?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever you face an Australian here in Australia, it\u2019s a very different environment. They have a lot of support. Joel is a great surfer, we\u2019ve known each other since we were kids and he\u2019s a great aerialist. For me, it\u2019s about sticking to my strategy for the heat, continuing with my good surfing, and that\u2019s it. Just surf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n In really tough conditions, against a hometown favorite and one of the top contenders on the rankings, what was it like to surf out there today and come away with the win after having to watch him surf the last wave?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly, it was survival mode out there. I was more focused on the waves because I had to choose wisely today, it was really hard to surf. So I focused on myself. I didn\u2019t even hear my scores, I don\u2019t even know what my heat total was. In my mind, I just knew I needed another wave to put more pressure on him. I was trying to find a slightly better one, but it\u2019s really hard to surf out there, super bumpy. So yeah, I\u2019m happy with the win. It was a tough heat and hopefully we will get better conditions in the next rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s been a really strong start to the year. How do you keep that mindset going for the rest of the season?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s always good to get good results. I want to stay consistent, but step by step. I\u2019m feeling good, you know? I feel like I\u2019m in a good rhythm. I\u2019ve been surfing a lot, I\u2019m surrounded by people I like, so I think that helps. Things happen naturally. I\u2019m in a good headspace, so I just want to keep surfing, finding a magic board, testing boards. Hopefully I can keep finding better boards for the next events. I\u2019m motivated for what\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple of lay days before this round and more waiting periods ahead – how do you stay active?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been surfing and training, more surfing than training here. There\u2019s not much time, you never know when they are going to run because they use every window the ocean provides so you have to stay ready. But I kept my routine, stayed active. My girlfriend helps me a lot day to day, so it\u2019s been good here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can see Crosby, Sammy and Gabriel back in action when the Margaret River Pro resumes on 22 April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Crosby on whipping Griff, Sammy on facing the Aussies and Medina on being Medina. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12646,"featured_media":126189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,20,332,5547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-news","category-slider-home","category-slider-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Crosby-Colapinto_26MargaretRiver_BRRL9896_Hannah-Anderson-1024x683.jpg\")
Samuel Pupo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Samuel-Pupo_26MargaretRiver_BRRL0763_Beatriz-Ryder-1024x683.jpg\")
Gabriel Medina<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Gabriel-Medina_26MargaretRiver_BRR_1154_Beatriz-Ryder-1024x683.jpg\")