- Gabriela Bryan won the World Surf League title in Margaret River
- He had to pass by a pod of dolphins to win
- Bryan, 22, said it was a “magical” race
Surfer Gabriela Bryan was stunned by a “magical” moment when she won her first World Surf League title last weekend.
The 22-year-old won the Margaret River Pro to move to No. 5 in the world rankings and make the mid-season cut.
And his triumph was made even more special when he sailed through a pod of dolphins during his winning race.
Stunning video footage shows at least a dozen dolphins sharing a wave with Bryan as she began running. Astonished, the Hawaiian surfer avoided the dolphins to put on a great performance.
“I’m so happy we had good waves today and all the girls put on a really good show. It’s crazy, I just won,” Bryan said.
Gabriela Bryan won her first World Surf League title in unusual circumstances
The 22-year-old had to navigate a pod of dolphins during her winning race.
The Hawaiian said it was a ‘magical’ moment that led her to victory
‘When they kicked me out, I was just wow! That wave was sent to me by someone, the dolphins in it. It was magical.”
The crowd and commentators were also stunned by what they were seeing in the water, with Bryan earning praise for his quick reactions to the unusual sighting.
‘Oh Lord. In fact, he turned to avoid one of those dolphins; That’s crazy,” commentator Matt Chojnacki said.
‘It was an epic twist too. Speaking of distractions…she lines up this bottom turn and then, lo and behold, a dolphin lands on her, and not just one, five of them.
‘It has to be short, as you’d be a little worried. And she stays up, she does very well not to fall.
“Then she maintains that composure on the next turn, knowing that she has a good score and that the dolphins are blessing her with this wave.”