Even if his year was forgotten amid a surprising world champ and Kelly Slater's pool fever…
“I don’t care if he is a Brazilian; he’s the best surfer in the world.”
This, from a surfer wrapped in an Australian flag after seeing Filipe Toledo drive Julian Wilson around the hill in the final of the Quicksilver Pro, Snapper Rocks. Nineteen-year-old Filipe’s near-perfect 19.60 combo-ing Julian’s 14.70.
Do you remember that final? Filipe coming through the air and hitting and bouncing off lips as if he was weightless while Julian looked as if he was doped up, in comparison. Didn’t matter who surfed against Filipe in that final. He blew his cookie!
Do you remember that final? Filipe coming through the air and hitting and bouncing off lips as if he was weightless while Julian looked as if he was doped up in comparison. Didn’t matter who surfed against Filipe in that final. He blew his cookie!
Hit play!
A few months later in Brazil, Filipe beat Bede Durbidge with the same night stick he wielded on Julian. Almost same scores, too, 19.87 to 14.70.
Watch!
Two wins from four events.
By mid-year, Filipe Toledo was an orange-hot sunbeam filtering down through a tour that had become repetitive and slow. How could you watch the little man surf a heat and not be struck by his bolts of lightening? Here, there, drool running down his chin, eyes bulging and crazed like a madman undergoing withdrawal symptoms.
Sure, there was the low moment in Tahiti when he became the first surfer in history to score a perfect zero heat in a WCT event. You can watch that below or you can read about it.
A month or so later, he was back dismantling the beachbreaks of Portugal for another dazzling win. Watch his 10-pointer here! Best surfer in the world? Yes!
But despite his game-changing performances in 2015, Filipe’s dazzling year has been lost in the smog of Adriano’s world title and Kelly’s wave pool video.
Ain’t it crazy? That this beautiful boy with skin the colour of buttered cocoa, eyes a soft clubhouse green, who brought holy terror to the tour in 2015, and who is the hottest thing since Kelly Slater in 1992, could be overshadowed?
Our memories are lousy like that.
But, remember, eight weeks until Snapper Rocks, 2016.
Filipe will re-take the spotlight, gloriously, divinely. He’ll entertain the crowd while his competitors smile painfully as he shucks ’em one by one.
As the former world-number-one-rated surfer Brad Gerlach told me after Snapper when Filipe looked as he might win every event: “Filipe’s technically superior. And he’s not thinking. He’s surfing so spontaneously you don’t know what he’s going to do. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do. And that’s fucking awesome.”
Fucking awesome. Yes he is.
Filipe, Medina and in a few years Yago Dora and Samuel Pupo will rule competitive surfing for the next decade, while John John sail between the islands.
Sure, not.
I’m not like James B who’s into sucking brazilian cocks but I have to admit he’s been robbed. He should have been the world champ this year.
Of course you´re not like James B.
*Of course you’re not like James B who’s into sucking Brazilian cocks.
Felipe had many heats to win. There was no guarantee he would have been world champ if he beat Mason. Felipe is the best small wave surfer in the world but if Snapper has a 6 foot cyclone swell behind the rock this year, Felipe will just be another of the Top 34 and will not be a favourite.
Have to agree on heats at Pipeline, but I think he really upgraded his game during 2014, and even more in 2015. His only weak points are hollow lefts, if he works on that to be ready, who knows what 2016 reserves
I thought he looked weak at J-Bay, also, which requires reading (judging) that wave very well. He is only young but I think he is not as strong as folks are saying.
…oh it kills me too… we’re in the process of shifting servers. Soon, you’ll be able to walk briskly into our arms!
Yes, Felipe is awesome and he acted like an adult man on post heat interview at Pipe. He will work on his flaw at heavy hollow lefthanders and clinch a world title.
Who cares how he acted? Since when was it “adult” to cop shit & injustice? That he acted gracefully, fine. If he spat the dummy, also fine.
Difference is when you act like he did rather than what you’re suggesting, you show the world that nothing can break you. It’s called intelligence.
So letting others walk all over you is OK? Being passive is OK? So those surfers over time that have questioned the judges were not intelligent? Like when Adriano stormed the judges tower at Bells this year (against CJ) was not intelligent? It might be OK if you think you are Jesus being crucified to save evil mankind. But to me, you sound like a typical authoritarian disciplinarian that enjoys bending young boys over a table.
Two things :
– agree on the hollow left thing
– great name
Toledo is the 2015 world title moral winner.