Maybe world number one not scared of Teahupoo but smarter than you think!
Earlier today, surf fans were shocked, but not surprised, I suppose, by the world number one surfer Filipe Toledo’s stunning choke at four-to-eight-foot Teahupoo, a reprise of his “stunning act of cowardice” from 2105 when he failed to catch even one wave in a heat there.
As Chas Smith wrote at the time, “Is not taking off on a wave in a WSL heat, in front of the world, the bravest thing ever?
Seven years is a long time and it might’ve been expected that Toledo, now twenty-seven and a favourite to win the world title at Lowers in September, would’ve become a little more comfortable at this difficult wave.
What value does a world title hold if you can’t surf the tour’s most demanding wave?
With fifty seconds left, Toledo found a small wave on the inside, riding it to the channel for a 1.87.
But while fans and the press called it a fear-induced choke and as Toledo punched his board in the channel, at least one surfing notable, the commentator Chris Coté, theorised Toledo didn’t catch a wave worth a damn because he was keeping himself in cotton wool for Finals Day in September.
“I’m wondering if he’s actually being smart and playing the long game,” tweeted Coté. “Not risking injury in a non-elimination round heat when he’s already locked in to the final five? I respect that.”
Holes were quickly jabbed into the theory by surf fans,.
“Why even show up at Chopes then??” tweeted one. “Could have been at home training at Lowers this whole time. Imagine if no Finals day was taking place, he would lose his title to Jack today in the water. IMO – if he does win the title this year, it’s not as valid if he can’t send it at Chopes.”
Toledo salvaged some pride in his elimination heat against Nathan Hedge. Although he lost, Toledo scraped into a couple of medium-sized waves and rode ‘em beautifully for a pair of sevens.
A few years back, BeachGrit worked with a Toledo on his battle with fear, the film, we hoped, climaxing with Toledo paddling into a ten-footer at Teahupoo, emerging to indelicate screaming and a besmirched reputation wiped clean.
It was a project that had so many false starts, trips to Tahiti, missing swells and back and forthing that it was eventually shelved.
We cut the original feature back, stripped it to the original interview and sprinkled a little fairy dust here and there for a treatise on fear never conquered.
Cote’s wall of positive bullshit. There is nothing more annoying
Not true at all.
Dishonorable no matter how you slice it. A man of honor would now refuse to surf at Trestles. Toledo does not deserve to be a world champion.
When did the BG video budget get scrapped?
no riots on the streets of santa monica and.or venice…
https://a.disquscdn.com/get…
The WSL has made Lowers the wave that determines a world champion. It strongly favors a smaller wave, aireal surfing style that Felipe Toledo has. I agree that if his strategy was to not risk injury he could have stayed home, practiced at Lowers. What we saw was a surfer being out surfed in waves of consequence. He had numerous opportunities to catch waves but backed out. The bottom line is he has never performed well in waves of consequence. The WSL has set up a system determining who the world champion will be and that person doesn’t have to even catch a wave a pipeline or Tahiti.
I
Has anyone heard from ‘Uneducated’ ?
I read him articles each day. the finish line is near thanks for asking
mrs uneducated
Poke him with something in his ribs from all us would you please.
Thinking of you too. Mrs E.
Please give him our love. It sounds sappy, but I reckon pretty much every commenter here would only wish him the best thoughts.
Our best to you.
MacGillivray has potential.
Seems a decent bloke too…
Secret Assassin …..! Except he does it all the time …
Another one of those guys from over the years who qualified by getting results in Hawaii .
Enough about Fil , how did KPop Sliver his way in to the top 5 ?
Guys like Robbo and Connor today lost with 17 + and 16 + totals while Kanoa Marshaled his way over Moniz with a 5 and a 2 .
Anyway was very proud of Connor for pushing the Goat as his favorite spot with 2 mid 8s and almost defeating Kelly ( very close at 0.17 ) twice in a row at OK events , like he did at Cloudbreak in 2017
Did you notice that Kanoas 9.7 was a better score than ALL of Jacks 9s.
Just fuck off with the shit judging. Pritamos a fucken crook.
K has been avoiding sets here since 2016 , managed 1 excellent score in the 5 previous events and is slowly making progress ….. but he always somehow slipped / slivered through to the 1/4s …..and is a huge threat at 4ft and under Trestles
They didn’t surf against each other so it’s pretty much irrelevant. Each heat is governed by the first couple of waves ridden.
Thanks Negs for being a calming influence but K never gets a 7.93 but an 8 so often ends up with excellent heat scores which end up being seen on social media more often …
It’s just a theory but Today for example Kelly in Rnd of 16 got a 9
All judges went 9 ( not 8.5 to 9.5 )
For his 8 all 5 judges went 8
Connor’s 8.43 went from 8.8 to 7.8 and his bomb which nearly got him the win went from 8.7 to 8.2 and the Hawaiian and American judge went both 8.2 which cost him the win .
Just seen the judges know what to score the “ SUPERSTARS “ but not so the brilliant surfers who are not ?
Could it be, we and the judges are just very familiar with Kelly being Kelly at Chopes. His style, his lines, his pigdoging we’ve seen him do it all before hence his scores being more unified.
That is why there is 5 Judges at this level. Drop the high and the low, average out the remaining 3 for a minimal spread,
Yes it is possible , but is it the best possible outcome when all judges , in a subjective judging system , only vote as a unified block for Mega Stars ?
Anyway both Smelly at Connor surfed a great heat in wonderland conditions and Pro Surfing is the winner on days like These
You do know that they did not surf against each other. Can’t judge how 2 different heats are scored.
Fil ain’t the story now.
The story is now there are two OK surfers on different sides of the draw.
Any bets against this scenario – Hog v Slater final in an OK sponsored event ?
The possibility of the arc is undeniable …. some may say scripted.
Too fantastic to be true – except this is woozl and very historic things happen in fairytales adapted to tv.
Lawn Bowlers feel threatened as interest has been shown by luxury retirement villages and funerals parlors to partner WSL events if this trend of non extinct dinosaurs winning heats continues …..
My dad suggested they could paint rabbits on there heads if they make the finals ? And then stop competing and become DJs
Elo should get a goat tattoo on his cock.
And an O and a K on left and Right bum cheek !
O o K ….giggles
Did the makeup artist paste on his highly manicured beard ?
Go whole hog and get KO and OK on the other so he remembers how a goat fucked him over.
WSL LOVES
KOOK FROM OK -La -HOMA
The correct term for a tiny goat is a kid.
Getting a kid on his cock is ironic considering I compared him to an Epstein associate earlier today.
We live in a simulation…
Could very much happen a lot of the big dogs have been knocked out already.
Swell dropping pretty quick ( 7′ 14 seconds now vs 9′ 16 seconds same time yesterday ) doubt Hog advances if its significantly smaller
Fifty fifty, I think is more accurate.
Or – hated equally.
“If he does win the world title this year, it’s not as valid if he can’t send it at Chopes”
This is the kinda shit that makes me laugh. We all want Fil to charge. He doesn’t. So be it. Do you think he really gives two fucks, or the history books will give two fucks, if old non-charger Fil doesn’t please the keyboard commentariat sitting at home in their PJs?
Jack Robbo charges and he got knocked out early at Chopes and Pipe. Barely did any better than Fil. But coz he charges he pleases the keyboard community? Fil don’t give a shit and nor should he.
Personally, I think it stinks that a world champ could be a heavy wave scaredy cat but that’s the way the tour’s set up and 30 years from now, if Fil’s name is there on the trophy as a world champ, he’ll have earned it according to the rules of the day.
I take offence! i am not in my PJs… i’m in trackpants and slippers.
I am wearing one sock. The other is…somewhere
Hopefully full and tired up and placed in the proper bin for BioHazard waste !
Jack did barely did any better than Fil? Did you see him surf? Did you see what it took to beat him? Come on.
That’s exactly my point. Results are what count when you’re going for a world title, not how “valid” anonymous keyboard commentators think you are. I’m talking about their results, not their surfing.
lol. Filipe didn’t make it past the elimination round, and Jack got bundled out with a score that would’ve won any other heat. Plus, if you think Pip doesn’t give a shit, you’re off your rocker.
Who cares what his score was? It wasn’t enough to win the heat and he got one round further than Toledo. I like how you changed the topic to scores when it came to Robbo, rather than when he dipped.
Robbo: Pipe 17th, Chopes 9th.
Fil: Pipe 9th, Chopes 17th.
Results win world titles and those results above say that Robbo and Fil did exactly the same at the two big barrel riding comps. What exactly is your point?
I have to agree .
Numbers don’t lie ….. and definitely decide the world champ .
What is debatable is whether
TRESTLES is a worthy Arena in which the ultimate event should be run ?
Easy on the eye but lacking the Wow Factor of big Pipe or Cloudbreak …..
Fucken oath Bicko, it’s a travesty that it’s decided at Trestles. The Wozzle has fucked it by turning it into a “decider”. First past the post is always best and fairest coz it’s the results over the whole year.
I’d prefer no throwaway events as well. Maybe one if I had to compromise. Defo not two like they have now. Injuries are part of sport. So be it. If you have no throwaway events then every wave, every heat, every result will count.
And if Fil gets found out in the big stuff then no-one to blame but himself. The whole system now is set up perfectly for Fil but it ain’t his fault is it? It’s the Wozzle’s creation.
Really, I agree with you SV, I’m just taking it personally cos his performance was so fucking lame.
Although I’m not sure the world title would soothe all his pain and embarrassment, and nor should it.
haha I’m pissed off Robbo lost to Hedgey with 150 8s and 9s. I ain’t a Fil fan mate, far from it, but the Wozzle has set up this system so he doesn’t have to charge. If he doesn’t have to, why should he? To please us?
It’s up to the Wozzle to fix it. I feel your Robbo pain but in the end, his results at Pipe and Chopes were just as shit as Fil’s. Fil is almost untouchable in his small wave playground. Robbo needs to turn his big wave skills into better results.
My biggest concern is that Kpop will become world champ this year …… and then the WSL will move it to somewhere worthy of a decider
You really think anyone in that top 5 can beat Fil at 3-4 foot Trestles? Can EE do anything except an air rev above the lip? Maybe Robbo but his airgame seems to lift with bigger waves. Not sure about 3-4 foot mush
Kpop is such a sneaky substance that anything is possible .
At last year’s size anyone could win but if it is 3ft and under than wave choice ( especially with those horribly long gap’s between the sets ) is king
Samurai San has almost zero chance of winning at Lowers
I am hoping your right , but he has managed to get great results at spots which are not truly to his liking or strengths so am afraid he can go one better than he did at the Olympics in the soft water skate park that is Trestles
Kanoa can certainly beat him.
That’s not what I said at all. I said he doesn’t, and shouldn’t give a shit whether keyboard experts like us will deem him a “valid” world champ or not. It probably stings his ego a bit but I’m sure a world title at Trestles will help him get through the night ok.
Who cares about what you think, you’re just a homeboy keyboard expert “valid” anonymous keyboard commentator.
Fucken ay! Which is precisely why I don’t give a fuck what I think!
Hmmm, Damien Hardman doesn’t excite me.
Nor me. It’s not like I’m a fan of Fil. Robbo all day for me. But homeboy keyboard experts weighing in saying Fil’s title (if he ever wins one) won’t be “valid” to them is fucking laughable.
It probably stings Fil that he doesn’t command the big balls respect that others do, but I’m sure a world title will soothe the pain.
If Toledo were a man of honor, winning at Trestles after this debacle at Tahiti would only exacerbate his pain, not soothe it. Then again, if he were a man of honor, he would now drop out of the Trestles event.
did you just call me a ‘keyboard warrior’ – only to drop 9 more comments after your post? nice.
Personally, I think F title will be valid. I would love the world champ to be a charger, but overall…F is one of the best. Most surfers do not surf waves like Chopes and Pipe..he is the best in the most competitive arena- the waves most people surf. He should not get a wild card to the big waves tour though
Those “rules of the day” are dishonorable. Honorable men reject them. Honor is, of course, a foreign concept to degenerate moderns. If Toledo had any honor, he’d now drop out of Trestles, as he’s proven himself unworthy of being a world champion.
I do like the format for deciding the champion, but the fact that it’s held at Lowes is a fucking disgrace.
It will probably get more viewers in that time zone and thus generate more $ i guess. Brazzos and seppos able watch live at a reasonable hour. Thats probably the sad truth. Could have held it at punta roca or somewhere more exciting though in the same time zone
You can lead a surfer too water but you can’t make them surf!
New Cote takes generally range from absurd to indecipherable, this one falls somewhere around bowel-level (Cote’s words not mine)
I guess I’ll post this, again.
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Can you also do one with Courage the cowardly dog?
Pip is off the Hurluley team.
Nathan fucking Hedge!
Now where’s that cock talking him shit on him..
Hedge is one the best over sixty year olds on the tour!
Ha! Could be Slater v Hedge final if swell holds
Toledo can put his trophy in the cot
Is it just me or with Medina off tour the storm looking a bit soft again. Bar Miggy. Love Miggy
He doesnt needs this for the title, still, cant justify the unjustifiable, even if he wasnt a title contender….
‘Why even go to chopes’ is a stupid question..of course proving himself there has importance to flip, but, he is clearly not willing to put in his time off and free surfs to that, which is his right to choose, having family, 20 kids to raise, etc…but he shouldnt expect to suddenly not make a fool of himself then…a comp heat a month away from his career goal is not the time and place to try and “get comfortable”
He’s been going there for a decade, long before wife, children etc.
Well, he should be caning it but he sure don’t surf like it, Dez.
Although I’ll give him slight props for not being totally useless in his second heat.
Lame clickbait theory from Cote. Pip could now be going into finals day as no2 seed if Robbo goes the hammer and that’s another few dangerous heats to get though.
Beach Grit scraping the bowels of Twitter for any angle, Negatron biting the bait. Good times.
You need to know your place in modern surf culture. I’ll have you cancelled come Monday.
Delicate cunts around here
Couldn’t you install a new relief valve for him? Perhaps some new rubber washers on his taps?
Hi CB Being a proud Elouera DUNNY HANGER , there is only one way to deal with effluent and that is to FLUSH !
Miss you James! Hope life is as well as can be hoped, all things considered.
All good ….. both kids at school now …. A recent trip to France , a few waves here in the Baltic and back to France in October to recharge the battery before the Russian Gas runs out this winter .
If you flush the twitter toilet, and then wander outside around the back of the building, you will see an open drain, in that open drain two men crouch, sifting through the filth, carefully, curiously but urgently. a bucket is filled, and the worst filth is then tipped into a grated pit.
this is that pit.
this is our pit.
It’s surprisingly liberating!
Why “scraping the bowels”? It’s your quote, run in full and in context. Was it satire and I missed?
If I’m not working the event, I dwell in the bowels. Hence the scrape. I feel seen.
Is this something to do with hamsters and cocaine?
You’re a very naughty boy.
https://youtu.be/p3j2NYZ8FKs
Is Ms Hughes down there?
If so can ya keep her there?
Cheers cunt
I thoroughly enjoy how you position your own take a ‘bowel’ level content. So brave.
BG is only click bait. Please prove this theory wrong.