Critical thinking goes over the falls.
As you certainly know, by now, the two-time, and current, World Surf League champion Filipe Toledo failed to make an effort out at Pipeline one week ago, adding yet another chapter to the developing story that has him scared of bigger waves over shallower reef. Matters were made worse, for the talented Brazilian, after he pulled out from the event entirely, citing food poisoning.
He copped a deserved beating for the display, lashed out at his critics and has been defended by certain corners in increasingly tortured absurdism.
The latest comes to us from Surfer Today wherein founder Luís MP castigated “surf culture’s bible and clowns of the sport” for daring poke Toledo.
Sticks and Stones: The Filipe Toledo Metaphor for Modern Surf Culture begins thusly:
A father, husband, and family man with a past of mental health issues enters a bar. Everyone is drinking alcoholic beverages. He asks for a bottle of still mineral water.
Immediately after, the man hears insults; some question his masculinity, others his bravado. “If you don’t drink a beer, you don’t belong here.”
Sigmund Freud’s mob psychology is in full effect, and everything the man says is irrelevant and only fuels the crowd’s anger and rage even more.
They don’t want to know the reasons behind his abstinence. They just feel the need to judge him – for whatever he is, and he is not.
This could be the parallel story of Filipe Toledo.
Charges of bullying, of ignorance, of stupidity and malice are leveled at the “inflated surf comedians fueling the social media fire.” Classic lines about critics “never having paddled four-foot Pipe and ending with:
At the end of the journey, if we’re lucky enough to look at ourselves in the mirror and reflect, it’ll be all about what type of person we were and how good or bad we were to our peers.
However, something tells me the Brazilian will have a word at the Olympic reef break.
A word for the 21st-century keyboard surfers-opinion-makers and a medal for his children and family.
And I must say, I’m utterly confused. Is there truly a segment of the surf fan population that has never watched a real sport? Athletes at the highest echelon of their respective competitive games regularly fail in public and are fun made. Jeered, booed, thumbs downed. What’s more, only a tiny percentage of the aforementioned fun making public has ever participated at a high level in whichever sporting failure they are piling upon.
The surf fan was right to point and laugh at Filipe Toledo. He made it worse for himself by lying about food poisoning and claiming he had “nothing to prove.” His father made it worse still by excoriating “haters.”
Toledo is not a sober bro in a bar full of mean drunks. He’s a professional surfer blowing it and refusing to own up then getting coddled by folk who have somehow lost the ability to think critically.
You do not deserve all this abuse, dear surf fan. Being called rude names like “keyboard warrior” and “internet technician” etc. I apologize on behalf of my fellow surf journalist Luís MP.
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You know what’s worse than his surfing? Your writing style! Basically you’re saying it’s o k to be a dick and de humanize Someone may be suffering from a mental crisis I talk to shit about him before and I feel terrible because he’s one of the best calendar service on earth in small, medium and yes large waves.. Is a million pictures of him taking off on some sizable slabs. Maybe bean in a contest situation with live threatening waves. Maybe something he could improve on But the goat is not doing seven twenty Ariels in the back flips, and you’re not hounding him to get off tour or to be not relevant or less than his aerial acrobatic peers.. Are real surfers, not a fan and knows to shut. The f*** up when someone better than them is surfing and to sit back and watch. And unless you’re charging harder than him you really have no opinion. I know, you wish that porn store had a bigger dick, but it still bigger than yours…
I’d like to point out that last year Moana went out in heavy Pipe sick with a flu or cold or something.
She also had a very bad wipeout, waved off the jetski as she recovered in the whitewater holding her board. She recovered somewhat, and was able to finish her heat.
Granted, she knows that spot well and surfs it often.
Toledo fucked up (again) and he can’t revel in the public glory of his world champion crown without being prepared to face due criticism. But Luis from ‘Surfer Today’ makes at least one fair point. The most important thing is really about how good or bad we are to our peers. So honest criticism is fair but the bullying and ridiculing reflects poorly on some of his critics.
Quite ironic though that “the man who walked into a bar” actually did drink a beer, when water would’ve been a much better post-gastroenteroitis drink.
Criticism might be that he had not trained appropriately or chose the wrong board. Calling him a spineless boy is not criticism, it is insult, and no you won’t hear that from professional commentators on any sport. Of course, the vast majority of such commentators have experience at the highest level of their sport. Oh sorry I forgot hyper-irony excuses all.
“Clowns of the sport”. Sick burn. That has to hurt, Chas.
The yellow jersey creates pressure, ask anybody who has ever worn it they say “it’s like having a target on your back”. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game. Pip has gamed the system, good for him but the yellow jersey creates pressure. How did Mick deal with the pressure when receiving the news his brother had passed right before his heat at pipe. What did Mick do? What did Mick do?
I appreciate the anger in this one.
After this week’s in-water and malingering performances a gold medal still wouldn’t mean shit.
The boxing analogy is spot on. Same goes for cricket and baseball. You cant not face the fastest bowler / pitcher because you’re a puss. Or enter big air in skating / snowboarding but you’re afraid of heights. There, I stated more obvious for y’all sorry! Pip is mighty mouse
Like they re-grade drafts etc. in real sports, CJ’s title gets re-graded to third best ever.
His job is to prove himself BEFORE he wins the title in order to win the title. The problem is he has been given the title without having to prove himself. Thats not his fault, its the WSL.
I upvoted you but will wait to see what Andy C. says about your use of the word “Cunt(s)” before responding.
you talking about the Hoerner thing?
this is what happens with the pussification of sport….much like the WSL
more deep thoughts by Happy Camper.
I’m beginning to think that Chas’ rope-a-dope theory may be possible.
It’s a rare thing to become an Olympic athlete and Felipe is without a doubt one of the best competitive strategists in the business. seriously, how did he become two time world champ? by picking his battles and staying healthy. Odds are, the olympics will not be held in bombing Chopoo.
just prior to the Pipe event, Joao and many others got wrecked at Pipe potentially destroying their 2024 campaigns.
although Pipe was not big the other day, it was very gnarly. Jordy took stitches to his foot and Kade took a scary beating. so the question is; did Felipe say, is it worth it? I can win anywhere except maybe the gnarly shallow water waves, so is it worth it to possibly destroy my one shot at the Olympics?
Felipe has all the skill and talent he needs, so is Felipe working on the bravery thing and just like a wise little squirrel storing his nuts waiting for the right day to crack those babies open?
It could very well be except he’s missing a part of directing the narrative here. Yes, he might win Olympic gold at baby choo but the surf peanut gallery will hoot so loudly that it’ll haunt the boy for eternity. No proper “extreme sport” star has ever been a total chicken shit. If Teahupo’o is small kine, he’ll have to hav a maxing Greenbush vid part in the back pocket to drop.
So good hey!!!! A black dude infiltrating Italy!!!!
Xox
it happened before with The Moors.
Oh is this why they have big schlongs?
Xox
The working man knows that the amount of shit talked about him is directly correlated with his willingness/ability to do his job.
Pip ain’t doing his fucking job, but still wins employee of the fucking month.
If I was Filipe I would be hiding under a rock, quietly, hoping that in six months people forget about my embarrassing act of cowardice.
In my end, I won’t be buying Hurley or any other brand associated with someone who tarnishes my beloved sport.
Jeeez. Letitgo. Surely there’s another ks or shark story lurking
I would love to except air keeps getting blown on this li’l fire! But, Filipe Toledo and his feelings aside, don’t you think the overall discussion is interesting? How valuable is spine in this day and age?
A short history if professional surfing
1. Sport born on bravado, beach party’s and drugs
2. As they courted corporate sponsorship Early professional associations hid athlete drug culture- mainstream still thought it was a druggo surf bum sport.
3. Surf brands became financially strong enough for surf associations not to require corporate sponsorship, surf companies hid athlete drug culture – mainstream still think it is a druggo surf bum sport even though their local football star was just busted for pills.
4. Surf league and athlete image protection becomes so embedded in brand and league culture that even now there is no athlete drug culture the athlete or parent expects constant wall of positivity – mainstream still think it is a druggo surf bum sport even though their local football star was busted for meth.
5. Surf league and brands become financially weak losing control of media and image control. Mainstream says see i told ya they were all druggo surf bums even though their local footy star was just busted for coke.
The point is there has been no long term value add for professional surfing presenting an image without its flaws, embrace the flaws because whenever i speak to a mainstream non surfer they still think ya some form of druggo surf bum.
https://media4.giphy.com/me…