An examination of the psychology behind the surf fans and journalists who defend the indefensible.
Much brouhaha and many wound lickings over the past few days following two-time world champ Filipe Toledo’s withdrawal from Lexus the Pipe Pro.
After a wildly lacklustre first heat of the season, Filipe Toledo quit the event blaming food poisoning.
The night is darkest just before the dawn, wrote Thomas Fuller in 1650 (or words to that effect). But for Filipe Toledo, incumbent world champion, even the brightest new days are shrouded in a lingering dusk.
Our double asterisked world champion is out of the season opener, the Lexus Pipe Pro, almost before it has begun, and certainly before he’d surfed any wave of substance.
1.77 for two waves was all he could muster to begin his 2024 campaign. Made to look even more foolish by Sammy Pupo and Shion Crawford, both of whom notched solid waves, Filipe Toledo whimpered off to the elimination round then threw in the towel without attempting to remain in the competition.
Illness was cited, and illness is surely the reason, if we accept this as a euphemism for the deep roots of fear that claw at Filipe Toledo’s soul when waves become consequential.
In today’s episode of Chas Smith Hates Surfing, and using a half-charged microphone that renders most of it intelligible, the noted author examines the psychological makeup of journalists and surf fans who defend the indefensible.
“Is their thinking that they’re going to endear themselves to that person, become friends somehow, become pals later on, because you went on to Instagram and said, ‘He wasn’t afraid, he gave it his best. Good job Filipe.’ Why can’t we critical? Why can’t we be critical and honest? Has the west lost its ability to think critical about stuff? Why can’t we say there is something wrong? That there is some critical element to his game that needs to be addressed and fixed!”
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All time clip.
Oh the delights of YouTube, This is the best YT clip I’ve seen in 2024. So much to love about it.
*The 80’s Pommie babe in a bikini
* The catch
* Her Perm
* The Shades, and zinc on the schnoz of old mate
* His entire outfit, tucked in lemon polo.
* The immediate flat throw return back to the bowling end stumps FROM the seats.
* Sitting himself down like it was no big deal.
* The dart inhale, catch, return, exhale out the nose, resumption of seating sequence
* His Ranaga Mullett’d mate giving him props
* Full and serious commentary from the Channel 9 team.
Fucking gold.
“Sometimes a little bit of nothing means a whole lot of something.” Tito from Rocket Power
corumba…
Ay cabron
not chromium. its uraium Plus hex SIX…be very afraidd!
I’m starting to miss shark attacks.
There has been a decline in quality and quantity of consumed alcohol on this vlog.
It started with high end tequila, devolved into a hip flask of moonshine and now a total lack of consumption.
Probably vegan trending LBwhatever too. Very exhausting keeping up with how my various proclivities are out of fashion and if one can’t rely on BG then where is the voice of reason (?) and now you’ve given me reason to doubt one of the pillars on which my 5 bedroom/bathroom existence is built. The answer is, comrade, more Oban.
Edited, bcos – all you kiwi dudes and dudettes (ha!) this Steinlager pure stuff is ok, mucho surprising (and reasonably cheap in the overpriced tax haven in which I live) and nothing like the hangovers and latter day regret that B&B DIPA caused within my gentle constitution.
“Why can’t we critical?”
We are critical of this sentence structure.
We critical too.🥃
to be or not to be?
I keep thinking i’m done building my echo chamber and then I find one more burn to click out. One that will surely mean… well, at least it will be mean.
Everyone who works has a boss, sometimes several bosses. If you fuck up at what may be considered your most critical responsibility then you will be reprimanded. In this case we are the surfers’ bosses, and goddamnit this is your third strike Pip!
I just want to know more about that dog, tbh
for sure … has the look of someone/thing in a hostage situation
The contempt shown by the WSL towards its fans is nothing compared the the evident self loathing demonstrated by those of us who still tune in!
The dog, the loafers, the cuffs…but mostly the dog…
I love it.
“That’s the best compliment I’ve ever had…” referring to posted a pic of a young Pete Fonda. doppleganger.
Cunts will cunt.
Xox
Funny Chas can’t imagine why someone would defend Felipe (sure I understand most people wouldn’t, especially here but…) Empathy for one. I saw him genuinely wanting a backdoor wave he didn’t have priority for. I also saw the heat he lost after his historic 0 wave heat against Slater and Hedge. That heat I recall at least one legit bomb. I think he scored in the seven range, but it was a heavy barrel that I’m guessing 99.99% of his critics will never experience.
Defending Felipe online isn’t about some bizarre stalker fantasy of getting a shacka from Pip someday. It’s just something to do because I’ve seen him contradict the narrative. Also piling on with the mob’s not always more fun than taking an unpopular stance. That’s my reasoning. Now the inertia or someone else defending him on a for profit surf blog? Well I hope they’re motivation is purely monetary and it’s just a sorry attempt at some damage control that mistakingly gave the whole thing more life.
99.99 percent of his critics are not pro surfers. This effort is like Lewis Hamilton balking at parallel parking.
Xox
True!
You’re what is called a solipsist mate (look it up) and this is the one and only time I’ll have contact with you, even by my eyeballs
this is the taking off behind the peak of BG commenter slams … and threaded it
I looked up “solipsism”. There’s a few different definitions. Kinda of struggling to find one I identify with or agree with. Philosophically does it come from people who got too wrapped up in Descarte’s “Cogito, ergo sum”? Like people who read it and took it as some ultimate truth to live by, are therefore Solipsist’s? I’ve never found Descartes to be interesting beyond smoking dirt weed in college, showing up to Western Philosophy 101 and thinking, so these are the people western society holds up as great thinkers…?
As far as the narcissistic definitions of a solipsist, not even sure about that either. Deconstructing my own BS is too fun. Obsessive critical introspection doesn’t seem to be a trait of the clinical narcissists I know. But self centeredness? You can can argue even the most “selfless” people are doing it from a place of self centeredness. So from some peoples perspectives maybe we’re all solipsistic to a point. LOL.. This comment, like so many others I’ve made is purely motivated by philosophy of distraction through procrastination (you’d be amazed how much stuff gets done when you procrastinate). It’s like taking the opposite road that every motivational account on IG tells you to. Thank god your eyes have not glanced upon it Paulo, you clearly will not fall for it! You are surely above the Solipsism you project.
You’re over-complicating the matter. Remember: this is BG. Usage of a particular word doesn’t necessarily imply an understanding of the word. To put it country simple, Paulo is talking out of his ass.
LOL, good point! I do get a stupid joy out of over complicating things. So entertaining BS can be a default. Since the steaming heaps of crap online are literally infinite, they probably are best ignored.
Yep my browneye ball
that’s really what it is. And he’s not just any pro, he’s the world ‘title’ holder. We went through the list a few days ago, but in the nearly 50 years of the pro tour there has never been a single world champ who didn’t at the very least give Pipe their best shot when it was pumping. Even guys like D Hardman put it together out there. If you don’t want to send it at Pipe and Chopes, then don’t surf on the WCT.
And sad that the WSL created this whole thing by enabling world ‘titles’ based on one surf at arguably the softest wave on tour. Like making S White and that guy who landed the triple compete for a world title at a tiny little community halfpipe against some dude who was too scared to throw 1440s on the big ramp.
Yep, all true. I think the one day Finals was more of a financial thing. The tours never made money from what I gather. A one day event opens it up to different sponsorship opportunities, the ability to sell it to different media outlets. The Super Bowl brings in tons of money for the NFL. People need to compete at a couple heavy venues to make the Finals, but clearly that hasn’t diminished Felipe’s ability to arrive at Trestles in the #1 spot. Yep, his not paddling does call into question the format and the Finals. Shaun White ran essentially the same runs for years always just tweaking it just enough to stay on top. Lacked creativity to say the least.
yeah, I’m definitely not qualified to comment on snowboarding, just throwing out an analogy that may have been less apt than intended.
Bottom line is that if Pip would just give it an effort the criticism would dissipate…
Totally! I don’t get why he doesn’t get on a bigger board, buy those padded wetsuits and a helmet, just do things to make it easier on himself. At this point just sending on any decent sized waves would help dispel the narratives. Get a sports psychologist, hire Snips, Dorian, Raimana, Bourez, J.O’Brien, Reef M., whoever… Put in the work. One of the few good things about competition is it reveals your weaknesses, it shows people where they can get better. It can’t be more clear for Pip. If he’s got trauma from hurting himself at Chopes, time to get workin on it. If he makes the cut he’ll be surfing there twice this year. Anyway, he’s tee’d up to deal with it if he wants too. If not bail out of the Olympics and give King Medina a shot at a wave he absolutely dominates.
yes maybe he could get sone small wave help from snips.
the wsl does not determine the worlds best surfer, that is unknowable.
it does pick the top surfer who excels in the format of the wsl surfing league. and the last 2 years its been Phil. maybe a new format and bigger waves would produce a different ‘champion’. but for the past 2 years., Phil plays the wsl game better than all.
+ a 5th at pipe aint shabby.
Lewis “the noose is loose” Hamilton?
All jokes aside, maybe world champs could be expected to force themselves to surf pipe, but remember who you are talking about here, this is a man who was filmed with his employer imploring him to remove his shirt to much laughter on social media.
Maybe this guy is our #metoo world champ and we should look to understand, love and celebrate this beautiful flawed man for who he is and maybe… for who, with our help, love and understanding, the man he is to become.
Jeez, Where’s my little violin ?
Hahahahahar
So you’re in the baggy green at number 11 and you’re next up on a green pitch facing Malcom Marshal or Curtly Ambrose (name your fast bowling fear here). You know you can’t bat for shit buuutt you gotta go, right? Nerves of steel and keep your eyes on the ball. Newspaper wrapped round the ribs. Pads everywhere. Scared as fuck – but you gotta do it ….
#Pipnotmychamp
Good analogy Joel Garner could whip em in too.. The prospect of a six sticher to the dome at fuck knows how many K’s ab hr is scary!
#metoowozzlechamp won’t trend?
we’ll have to watch him later, yeah?
fucken hell, I went all the way back to 2017. Sorry Chas.
I love a man who will stand corrected.
Xox
LWSS stroked hard and high horsed that post..
stand (and make the drop w/o pearling to her chinny, chin, chin)…corrected!
intelligible
Some of your best work Charlie!
I know its BG but you’d reckon someone who calls themself “surf journalist” would do a bit of research before coming out with shit.
Firstly, Toledo never posted a 0.00 at teahupoo. Go look at the scores, they are right there on the wsl site. He got 1.87.
Secondly, there’s been many lower scores than his 1.87 heat total:
* Rio waida had a 0.97 heat total last year.
* Callum Robson got 0.97 in 2021 (but to his credit took off and ate shit on 3 waves).
* Hell, even the goat scored a heat total of 1.17 in 2021.
* Peterson Crisanto scored 0.77 in 2019.
* seabass scored 1.20 (off two waves) in 2019.
* Willian Cardoso scored 1.43 (off two waves) in 2019
Thirdly, it wasn’t even last year that the incident happened, it was 2022.
What’s clear from your research is that a two time world champ really shouldn’t have his name next to those Surfers.
Do you keep a spreadsheet on these stats? If not, how do you retrieve them on demand?
He is actually Joe Turpel
Interesting. LWSS: Admit? Deny? Do not admit do not deny? Fuck off dickhead? Am all seeing all knowing God? Am Barton with a taste for Egyptology?
am batting 0.00 on surfvival. that’s because I’m a quitter. gambling: yes. other vices: N0!
“Why can’t we say there is something wrong? That there is some critical element to his game that needs to be addressed and fixed.
Yeh you can say that, that’s criticism.
“Spineless boy” on the other hands is just insult.
Do you really believe his the first “athlete” in the history of sport to be insulted for a spineless Performance?
Why does he deserve anything better?
That’s not the point. Cheap shots are not journalism and serve no purpose except to boost the author’s ego. I made the point earlier thst insults that attack a surfer’s masculinity, as in tbe use of “boy” encourage people who lack confidence in their ability to paddle out in big waves. This after an appalling year for injuries at Pipe. The only applicable rule is if you don’t feel it, don’t do it. And, as Slater demonstrated at Waimea, that applies to everyone no matter their status. There is plenty of room forvquite pointed commentary about Toledo’s record without descending to those depths, though plumbing them often seems the main agenda here.
Through Chas’s diatribe all I could think what if this pro surfer we are negatively celebrating cracks from this. Maybe he should just tell us.. “I hate heavy reef waves FUCK OFF ABOUT IT. I will win the next so many world championships and they’re is not a fucking thing you can do about it.”
But p*p has to know that no one gives a fuck about someone winning a comp in 3 foot mush. That’s all the *world title is nowadays.
The tour guys care about winning regardless of size. Think Kalohe loved to win in 3′.. He lost in 3′ Nags Head to Levi in a QS. No one in that comp could touch Kalohe’s form but a tail high slightly stinky reverse beat him..
And he brought home the bacon
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
So that no one knew…
BG. “we’s devo.”
Well my work is done. I goddam well let him have it in the live comments. Apoplectic. Just seething that someone with the talent of a fucking god on a stick cant, nay wont charge. How can anyone so talented be such a damn pussy. And I hate calling him that, because I like Pip, and legit love to watch him shred, which he does better than anyone atm. But I hate cowardice. And with all that talent, what else after all the sicknesses bullshit is left. But the cold hard facts. And just in case we need one more bit of evidence, if he ever even was planning to give it a nudge, he’d have a helmet on, like, “maybe i’ll swing on one so I better gath up”. But nah. It’s now his legacy, but in fairness, we have a WC of a sport that doesn’t run when it gets big anyway, so who’s the dummy? Me I guess for coming back for more.
Up to the 5th period, I thought you were talking about Chad. The talent part had me baffled until I got past that 5th piece of punctuation..
My writing does leave a bit to be desired. Apologies for any confusion. I should have name dropped Pip a little sooner than 5th. Out of interest, am I using too much, or too little punctuation? I never can tell. I try to write it, as I’d speak. with like… commas for breaths or breaks in speech. Is that correct or retarded?
I’m sure you meant Chas not Chad but the pool guy wrote about ‘someone with the talent of a fucking god on a stick’, which is a bit like Slater’s view of himself as an epidemiologist. So definitely not Chas either.