Surfers have been riding waves for centuries. Yet, with aquatic wizardry and a whole lot of skill, they've managed to reinvent the sport over and over and over again .

This past weekend, surfing experienced yet another transformative moment during the Oi Rio Pro in Brazil when 22-year-old Gabriel Medina caught a wave, launched himself into the air, flipped over backwards, then landed effortlessly on his board, completing the ride with a shrug.

It marked the first time a surfer has ever successfully completed a backflip during competition, according to the World Surf League.

Surfers take on a huge risk when attempting aerial tricks during competitions because judges score those maneuvers with extra diligence , only awarding points when the air is completed with the utmost precision .

But Medina's 360-degree flip did not disappoint. It earned a perfect 10 score from the judges because, as the surf website The Inertia points out,
that stunt "shouldn't be possible ."