“After watching Trump campaign run on an explicitly anti-trans agenda… the mood in Carlsbad was anxious.”

Spare a thought, as they say, for those queer surfers in the USA as billionaire businessman Donald Trump readies his troops to herd every LGBTQ surfer into vast concentration camps when he ascends to high office in January.

The associate editor of news outlet KQED, Nastia Voynovskaya, wrote about the fear felt in the bones of all queer surfers earlier today in her story, Queer Surfers Saved Me From a Stingray and Reminded Me of Hope.

Voynovskaya was a guest of Queer Surf, “a scrappy San Francisco-based org that gets queer and trans people riding waves” and describes the fear of huddling “together around the campfire in our puffer jackets and beanies, clutching mugs of tea. At neighboring campsites, Trump flags gleefully flew from RVs and pick-up trucks.”

In their little slice of Carlsbad clifftop, and wearing glitter boots, overalls, Tevas and muscle tanks, the dozen surfers “created a buoy of hope through a thousand simple acts of kindness.”

These included yoga classes, Chinese team ceremonies, tying each others’ hair into French braids and sharing poetry prompts.

On her third day, Voynovskaya stepped on a stingray although her new besties were quick to offer hot water and moral support.

“After that shocking encounter with nature, I felt grateful to be the recipient of such love and support. From my bestie, yes, and also from so many new friends. As queer people, many of us have a strong belief in collective care, in chosen families. In the way they showed up for me, that sense of solidarity wasn’t just a nice concept — I felt it deeply,” she writes.

More importantly,

“My time at Queer Surf Camp showed me that no matter what happens in 2025, personally or politically, we have each other, and we can create that sense of belonging and hope through a thousand simple acts of kindness.”

How does a queer surf camp differ from your experience at, say, Lakey Peak, G-Land or Mex?

Do you experience a similar level of connection or are you surrounded by, mostly, cunts?

"Seen random backpackers who can’t even do a roundy show up in Mex and charge harder than him."

Back in 2015, teenager Filipe Toledo rattled the windows of every surfer on tour when he easily despatched Julian Wilson in the final of the Quiksilver Pro, which was held in two-foot waves at Snapper Rocks. 

Filipe Toledo, who was nineteen, rammed a javelin into his opponent Julian Wilson, then twenty-six, by scoring two nines in quick succession before sealing the event, and his first-ever WCT win, with a deserved ten-pointer.

Total heat score, a near-perfect 19.60 to Wilson’s 14.70.

Since then, Toledo has won back-to-back world titles, both in two foot waves at Lower Trestles, but has publicly struggled in waves breaking over reef and exceeding six feet. 

In an Instagram post, the WSL celebrated the almost-ten year anniversary of Toledo’s first-ever tour win, running video of his waves along with the says-it-all caption, “Inspiring.” 

 

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A post shared by World Surf League (@wsl)

Less inspiring was the response from hardened surf fans who were quick to point out the asterisks next to Toledo’s world title wins.

small wave world champion…. Has anyone seen a photo of Feleepe riding a wave over 8ft Hawaiian.

Has the personality and heart of a world champ. But he needs to trust his skills in big hollow waves. Medina and JJF are light years ahead of him. A world champ has to be the best in every condition…’

Flippy Toledo . Chopes etc we will see let’s all do the shoulder hop

The small wave champ!

Unbeatable when it’s tiny.‍♂️

unwinnable when it’s heaving

Now show his first Teahupoo comp footage

Top 99.99999% in 2-3 ft waves but not even in the top 2000 in waves of consequence. Seen random backpackers who can’t even do a roundy show up in Mex and charge harder than him. Let’s face it the guy wouldn’t have ever been a champ in the old format.

Question: let’s say you’re Filipe Toledo, or in the Toledo camp. Do you pretend the reputation for flaking at Teahupoo or Pipe doesn’t exist or do you confront it or studiously do everything you can to stop your boy being presented with the decision, to go or pull back?

More importantly, does history matter? Is legacy even a thing? Anyone under twenty know who Andy Irons is? Joel Parko?