"I’m not here to prove anything to you!"
Filipe Toledo, two-time, and defending, World Surf League champion** is waking up this morning to an onslaught of unfavorable press. Yesterday, as you’ve surely ready by now, the future Olympian put on an extremely tepid performance at Pipeline, collecting a score of just 1.77 before being relegated to the elimination round where he eliminated himself.
“Food poisoning” cited as the cause.
Surf fans are well-acquainted with Toledo’s withering once waves reach that amorphous “size of consequence.” He famously scored a 0.00 heat total at very fine Teahupo’o, where the 2024 Olympics will be contested, and also sat out the back at the latest Teahupo’o running watching two AARPers lap him. His lack of spine has been thoroughly documented… here at BeachGrit… with Stab preferring to keep “the salacious headlines off social” so someday Pip “can be transparent and unguarded with us.”
The Inertia sharing Toledo’s same noodle spine.
Now, though, it appears the mainstream media is joining the scrum. Today’s Sydney Morning Herald ran the blaring headline “Reigning world champ Toledo in big-wave show,” twisting the dagger with:
Professional big-wave surfer Laura Enever and world No.5 Molly Picklum spoke about Toledo’s frustrations and tactics in commentary as his first heat of 2024 ticked down, while WSL’s veteran analyst Strider Wasilewski – renowned for his prowess at Teahupo’o during his younger years – identified Toledo pulling back on several waves from his vantage point in the water.
“He’s got to get those butterflies out of his stomach because at the moment you can see the hesitation,” Wasilewski said. “I want to see him step up and surf Pipeline the way that [he can]. He’s got the talent, he’s just got to get over that fear factor.”
Toledo took to Instagram excoriating Wasilewski and others, penning, “To the critics on duty, and the world champions who comment on social media, believe what you want, I’m not here to prove anything to you! My health is my priority! To those cheering me on, thank you very much! We are together haha we will be back better and stronger!”
Another extraordinary act of brave cowardice, boldly lighting into those who watch his trembling in real time. Audaciously waving his two Lower Trestles championships in the face of all.
It is what makes the boy a fascinating study. The combination of pounding a lion-tattooed heart, owing nobody nothing, having proven everything, while being a full blown and very public sissy to the point glowingly positive Strider Wasilewski can’t take no more.
And do you think this delicious admixture is swelling the ranks of “those cheering him on?”
It all plays very nicely into him showing up at Teahupo’o for The Games, world’s eyes upon, and crushing all.
Don’t you think?
