Filipe Toledo Is Finally, And Deservedly, A Surfing World Champion - Stab Mag

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

425 Views
The champ is here. Photo by Thiago Diz/WSL

Filipe Toledo Is Finally, And Deservedly, A Surfing World Champion

“It’s better than I even imagined.”

news // Sep 8, 2022
Words by August Howell
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Love it or hate it, this is what we’re working with. A mid-year massacre followed by a finals day flurry.

At the end of an eventful 2022 Championship Tour season, Filipe Toledo finally stood atop the field. After years of knocking on the door of the championship clubhouse, the man hailed as the best small-wave surfer removed the asterisks from his name and checked into elite company.

It was a busy day at Lower Trestles. Chris Cote thought he was in the WWE ring, practically begging surfers to square up on stage. Italo chewed gum while punting over Kanoa. Griffin Colapinto stiffened his upper lip in the commentary booth, eyes locked onto his home break he was decimal points away from surfing. And of course, excellent surfing. Reap the play-by-play from Mikey C here

But the biggest storyline was the two title winners. Stephanie Gilmore clinched a record eighth World Title. Thirty-five minutes later, the fastest surfer Kelly Slater has ever seen got the monkey off his back by winning his first World Title on the same swallowtail quad model he rode to a runner-up finish in last year’s finals.

No runner-up this year. Photo: WSL

Nobody made more trips to the podium this year than Fil. Five finals with two wins in 10 events. On paper, that’s a wrap. He beat an in-form John Florence en route to ringing the hardware at Bells. After the mid-year cut, he made back-to-back finals at G-land and El Salvador before blitzing his fourth win in Brazil. Oi! 

If there was a blemish on his record, it was that one heat at Teahupo’o. A single heat made some folks call into question the legitimacy of a world champion who was outdone by two 40+ men in thunderous surf. But consider this: If Tahiti had occurred early this year, and not a month before the WSL Finals, would the sentiment be the same? There are no qualms about his Pipeline performance from January. (Interesting stat: Filipe (9th) did better than Robbo (17th) at Pipeline.

Kelly addressed that controversial heat: “I don’t know if he was nervous or worried about the World Title ahead, who knows what’s going on in your mind in that position. He didn’t need to go out and hurt himself at Teahupo’o on a big day. He’s No. 1 in the world. No matter what he’s coming to Trestles. He looked really down on himself after that heat. I said ‘Dude, you’re going for a World Title. Don’t worry about this week at all. Go have fun, go win the title at Trestles.'”

So he did. But there was a lot of pressure riding on this. The top seed at his home break, no John or Gabriel, it felt like this was his to lose. Italo, the No. 4 seed, tried his hardest. Maybe too hard. He looked like the Energizer Bunny boosting on the left like it was his backyard skatepark. As the No. 2 seed last year, Italo looked lost at oversized Lowers. Not this time. Whipping a black Timmy P on rights and lefts, he rode his momentum into the best-of-three matchup with the San Clemente transplant after stomping Kanoa, Ethan Ewing, and Jack Robinson.

But Fil’s frontside hacks would not be denied. In the end, he held off a rampaging Italo and proved this year what we’ve all known for a long time. When Filipe is locked into head-high, rippable surf, there’s nobody better on tour.  

“He’s a stable, calming force for the Brazilian Storm,” said Kelly. “I’m so happy it’s his day.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025

SEOTY: The ‘Once-In-A-Decade’ Caribbean Swell That Kelly Slater Passed On

Michael Dunphy stars in Jimmicane's 'Blue Veil'

Jun 25, 2025

Who Owns Bingin? Legal Fight To Stop Demolition Begins

Eviction notices served for all businesses built on state land.

Jun 25, 2025

Tony Hawk Just Named Hughie Vaughan’s Internet-Breaking Air Because… No One Else Can

89% of our IG poll respondents claimed the 'stale fish flipper' was the best air…

Jun 25, 2025

German Surfers: AN INVESTIGATION

Truth is the light by which the world can see. 

Jun 24, 2025
Advertisement