“I’m sorry, but they’re not machines, it’s a tiring hour, and Filipe is really tired of all that!”
The father of world champ Filipe Toledo has delivered a stinging attack at “the haters on duty” after Toledo’s embarrassing fail and withdrawal from the Lexus Pipe Pro prompted an unprecedented backlash from fans and media alike.
Australia’s most credible news source, The Sydney Morning Herald, was unsparing in its criticism.
Fearsome winter swells have already injured five pro surfers in a variety of incidents since December, with big-wave specialists John John Florence and Australian Jack Robinson starring on day one.
Toledo, though, was barely sighted in his round one heat, waiting almost 25 minutes for his first wave – which did not barrel and was scored 0.50.
A follow-up of 1.27 saw the Brazilian champion relegated to the elimination round, from which he withdrew due to illness.
Toledo’s no-show continued a theme of several notable misfires in heaving conditions, most infamously registering a 0.0 score at Teahupo’o in 2015 and then opting not to paddle for waves in a 2022 heat at the Tahitian break.
…repeated questions have been asked over his big-wave approach upon his two world titles and the WSL format that decides the championship in a winner-takes-all shoot-out at Trestles in California, typically a smaller, high-performance break.
Shortly after, Filipe Toledo wrote with a ferocity sadly absent from his approach to Pipeline.
“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!’”
Now, instead of choking the matter of oxygen, Filipe’s daddy Ricardo has given the story another day or two of traction with a lengthy to-camera piece.
“Hey guys good afternoon. Passing by here to leave a rant, and to thank everyone who sent us messages of support, during these days, in which Filipe has been severely attacked, as if no athlete had the right to have a bad day, and was forced to always be fine, and surf to win.
“Sometimes we forget that they are human beings, who suffer, get tired, get exhausted, have pain, longing, bad days, and that will not always meet the expectations of the haters on duty, and that will cause so much hate, for simply not meeting the expectations of some. I’m sorry, but they’re not machines, it’s a tiring hour, and Filipe is really tired of all that!
“My affection and love to you my son, you have every right to be tired and to have your bad days, and NOBODY can charge you for that, NOBODY!!! If you are not happy, or you don’t like him, unfollow him, delete your followers, but don’t talk about something you don’t know and have never lived in your life, besides, it will not change anything in our history, nothing in what was conquered, but in The truth only speaks more about you, than about who you are trying to attack! MORE EMPATHY, PLEASE!!!”
Richard Toledo has long been a fixture on BeachGrit, starring in such classics as Filipe Toledo’s “huge scuffle at Lowers” takes unforeseen twist as Daddy Ricardo comes swinging in; Blood Feud: Alex Gray vs Filipe Toledo (‘s Dad), Blood Feud II: Ricardo Toledo vs all-comers, and most recently a few months back when he spoke, a little candidly in hindsight, of the terrors Teahupoo gives his kid.
