"Filipe Toledo will receive the 2025 Season Wildcard, which will allow him to compete in the 2025 CT season."
In an absolute shocker, the two-time, and current, World Surf League champion Filipe Toledo has just announced that he will not compete again this year.
Per the press release:
SUNSET BEACH, Oahu, Hawaii, USA (Sunday, February 11, 2024) – Filipe Toledo (BRA), reigning two-time World Champion, today announced his withdrawal from the remainder of the World Surf League (WSL) 2024 Championship Tour (CT) season to take a one-year mental health break from competition.
Filipe Toledo shared insights into his decision in the following statement:
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce today that I am withdrawing for the remainder of the 2024 Championship Tour season. This decision has been so hard for me to make, and it comes after days of discussion with those closest to me. The WSL has been very supportive, and I am very grateful that they have granted me the wildcard for the start of the 2025 season. I am committed to coming back better than ever.
“In the past, I have been honest about some of my challenges not only with injuries, but also with mental health. Competing at the highest level for the past decade has taken a toll on me, and I need a break to recover for the next chapter of my career.
“The platform of the CT has given me everything – it is a dream life that has allowed me to support my family in ways I could never imagine and have incredible experiences. I love this. I live for this. I have so much respect for my fellow competitors, both the men and the women on tour. You guys are amazing.
“I have so much passion for the sport, but I need some time off to fully recover so I can come back stronger than ever. I appreciate the support and loyalty of my family, friends, sponsors, and the WSL. I hope my fans around the world understand this decision and will stick with me when I return to the tour next year. I wish my fellow competitors a great CT season ahead. I will be watching!”
Toledo will receive the 2025 Season Wildcard, which will allow him to compete in the 2025 CT season.
“The commitment and dedication involved in competing at the highest level can be all-consuming,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport. “We support Filipe’s decision to prioritize his mental and physical health as he takes a step back. We hope he has the time and space to recover this year and look forward to seeing him back amongst the world’s best via the WSL CT wildcard in 2025.”
The first Brazilian surfer to win back-to-back World Titles, Filipe Toledo earned 17 Championship Tour event wins since first joining in 2013 at the age of 17, four of those victories coming in 2023.
Filipe Toledo’s withdrawal opens the door for Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) to compete in all the upcoming CT events before the Mid-Season Cut, providing a strong chance for the 30-year-old Moroccan to solidify his position on the CT.
Boukhiam is the first North African surfer to qualify for the CT after he battled for over a decade to earn his spot. Unfortunately, Boukhiam withdrew from the 2023 season after sustaining an ankle injury but was awarded the WSL Replacement slot for 2024.
Filipe Toledo was heavily dragged, at the beginning of the season, for putting on a shameful performance at the Lexus Pipe Pro then pulling out whilst citing phantom food poisoning.
Or… is, even as I type, the li’l lion Filipe Toledo packing up his Rocky Point home, moving to Tahiti and Googling recipes on lukewarm crow?
More, certainly, as the story develops.
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10 tour stops, gimme a break. How about 82 bruising NHL games in a season, or 17 NFL games, 162 game MLB season. I’m sorry but this is just weak.
colonel. report for duty!
got crabs?
SHHHHhhhhiiiitttttt! I’m giving a shout out for 80’s/90’s, most core! They actually put together task force in San Diego for the beach violence. Ring up Grandpa and ask him if they rolled like that!?
This is a direct result of the Poopoo touch. This is ELO’s fault. When they rearranged the tour in a way that left pipe and Teahupo’o
meaningless…that alienated the fan base. We want to see heroes in heroic waves.
This is
the poo poo touch.
New term
“poo poo doesn’t lie”
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
In the end they had to disband the regiment.. Morale totally destroyed
Dept of Health wants to know Where Pip got Food Poisoning So Bad It made Him Quit his Job! This is Serious People!!!…
Via con Dios Pip! Safer Beaches Down the Road! Good Luck with the Food Poisoning!!
345! Stay hydrated people. Multivitamins are good too.
mental health technicians. each & everyone of us…
Intermental health techs.
Because of the Trestles finals, he had a better than even chance of another world title.
Pretty big decision.
Well…I won’t be swimming there any time soon!%
now that Elvis has left the building shall we remember Fils cowardice at Teehupoo 2022?
00:18, 00:33, 4:18, 5:11, 7:50
Not bad.
Fuck yeah. good to see people riding waves
like they’re enjoying it
There’s some real tough speaking individuals on here that all seem to have Hawaiian sounding names. Doesn’t say alot for the culture over there. Where’s the aloha brah?
If he’s spotted training and practicing at Teahupo’o for the Olympics, then we all know his mental health reason is bs.
Elo’s “poo-poo touch” strikes again!
Filipe should at least be man enough to say that he has worked really hard to win two titles and he’s ready for a vacation. No cop out. No excuses. Other than being deathly afraid of big boy waves.
think radium and erin and chrome-hex 6ers///minus the 49ers
I was working at a friends house when he received a call from one of the best athletes on the planet shortly after another world title. the athlete was suffering from severe mental health issues. the conversation which was on speaker was heart breaking. we could feel the pain, frustration, doubt, lack of meaning-ness, and the “what is it all worth” in his testimony. he took some time off the tour and came back stronger than ever.
we all go through times in our lives when we question our purpose, our focus and the meaning of it all. men especially, often don’t have the open doors to express their feelings, fears and pain. after all, we are men.
Fil is not “mentally ill”. he’s going through a rough time as we all do, and is doing the right thing by taking some time off. he’s been ten years on tour and grew into a man from the boy that began on tour. many pro athletes go through this, especially the ones that go pro so young, and grow up in the public eye.
I for one am happy he is stepping back a bit. he needs to get back to remembering how much he loves the sport, and why.
He’s just mentally soft. Pro athletes are selfish by nature. Of coarse it’s hard to deal with reality when you are used to everyone blowing smoke up your skirt since you were 12. Everyone goes though heavy stuff and needs help dealing with it but no one needs to be pandered to or sheltered from real life. Filipe has not done a needed or dangerous job that calls for sabbatical. If he wants to take time off go for it. He has made a bunch of money and still has sponsors. He will still get paid to not do his job unlike the real world.
we are not all the manly man that you are, the I hate pussy, tough cunt danger man that you are, so this is for you:
https://youtu.be/70Npi6PccBk
I didn’t say anything about me being tough, manly, or better than anyone. I didn’t have the stuff to even put myself in the field to try to win a world championship. But why not say it straight. He is soft and still smoked them all the last two years. Take a vacation bud. You earned it. Just tell the truth about being scared of big reef breaks. Done hide behind a lie. I can respect truth.
Us normal folk don’t get the hall pass on reality so I believe it’s only right to hold that to everyone. Even rich surfers.
Mahalo for the song.
how did he do at Sunset last year or J-bay a couple of years ago
He won. Compared to how Sunset can be it was fun sizes. Big scary sunset is gnarly. The last Xcel I surfed was the end of my surf career because I saw that I was fearing and others stepped up to another level as the surf grew out of what I consider fun. Filipe is one of the best to ever surf J-bay in a heat for sure. But not the same kind of scary as slab reef breaks.
No idea what Pip’s deal is, but I agree with your overall sentiments. Spent a few hours on a therapist’s couch myself at a couple of particularly rough points. Although my therapist guy was a surfer and pretty bluntly told me ‘don’t count on a trip to the Ments to fix your issues.’
If Pip’s just scared to push over the ledge at Chopes, not sure a year off is what he needs. But if truly something greater, more power to him. Thoughts and prayers, as they say.
need culled?
inadvertently, Mr. Smith you may have created some of the best articles you’ve ever written.
art and literature are meant to inspire conversation, dialogue and even controversy.
you’ve certainly done that, and from the comments below, it has become a very positive exercise.
Thanks, Camper…
After reading through 317 comments on this article I’ll need a mental health break
Sometimes we just need a vacation from our vacation.
comedians seem to have more mental issues than surfers. maybe Pip will go on his own comedy tour. oh yeah, that’s why he’s acting up…no laughs?