"Toledo doesn't deserve to be called a world champion! Respect is something you either have or earn."
Surf fans have turned on the Brazilian Olympian and two-time world champ Filipe Toledo after his latest fail at Teahupoo today although, as a finger-pointer meself, I thought he did ok given the psycho conditions.
Even Japan’s finest surfing export Connor O’Leary, a man who ain’t afraid of a damn thing, had a sub-five heat total.
Fans hissed on the WSL’s YouTube page, however.
Drawing Felipe in chopes is like having a bye straight through to the next round (20 likes)
Two feet world champion
The year the WSL “changed” the CT so as to ‘GIFT WRAP’ the t.rophy for Toledo Not a REAL World Champion
Felipe is so bad in heavy waves. He is a coward
Toledo doesn’t deserve to be called a world champion! Respect is something you either have or earn.
1.63 for a two time world champ
I dont know why he cant… have you ever thought about it? he has EVERYTHING physically and mentally to be a good solid surfer in waves like these…. we see it all the time, guys from somewhere with not very good waves, coming to this spot, and shredding on some heavier days. but Felipe? it has to be something psychological. I dont think we have ever seen a surfer with his skill level come to Tahiti and blow it the way he has. can you think of any?
Why does Toledo even goes to this event?
Filipe is always afraid of that wave, it’s a shame, and there are still people who make excuses for him
If that wasn’t enough, the world’s best surf contest analyst, Steve Shearer, painted a damning account of Filipe’s failure on the forecast site SwellNet.
He even included a litany of Pip’s Teahupoo results.
And in a damning conclusion, Shearer wrote:
There’s no redemption story. There’s no arc of improvement, or attempt to put in the work to overcome and improve. In the words of Robert De Niro from Deerhunter, “it is what it is.” Toledo will show up, and if it’s small and clean, is perfectly capable, with his advanced backside tube riding technique of making heats. If it’s heaving he has learnt coping strategies of sitting wide, or too deep. Catching small inside waves to hand back priority to opponents.
He’s found a way to deal with the deficiency by dodging it, in real time. Which is, in its own way, quite impressive.
The only remarkable feature about it now, is the deafening silence from the booth during his heats about this dual World Champion’s refusal to learn how to get the job done at one of the tour’s marquee locations. You struggle to find an analogue in any other global sport where this would not be a major talking point. A World Champ who so clearly struggles to overcome a massive deficit in his skillset.
(Editor’s note: Listen to Turpel talk about Filipe’s “strong and true line” during the heat.)
Not a word from the booth. Academy awards for the acting whereby the talk is of Toledo getting it done out there, when even Blind Freddy could see that just ain’t happening. It keeps it interesting, I suppose. One of those glorious paradoxes of pro surfing that keeps us all coming back, in various states of disbelief.