The best kind of dad is a surf dad. Photo: Braden Eglig//Unsplash
Competing on the Championship Tour is no walk in the park. Neither is being a dad. Successfully doing both at the same time? Do that and you’ve achieved legend status. Here are five dads on tour that balance parenthood and competition seamlessly.
Filipe Toledo
Filipe Toledo has been dancing around a world title since his CT debut in 2013. With powerful aerial moves and ten CT victories, it seems only a matter of time until the Brazilian reaches the mountain top. In addition to chasing a title, Toledo has a couple of little ones he chases around at home — Mahina and Koa.
“Being 100 percent parent when I am home and 100 percent professional surfer when I am away, that is one really hard thing to do,” Toledo told the World Surf League. “These are probably the biggest things that I am trying to get better at.”
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Miguel Pupo
Miguel Pupo grew up on São Paulo’s North Coast, surfing and competing against his friend and rival Gabriel Medina. In 2011, the Brazilian first qualified for the CT, gaining recognition for his smooth style and big aerials. In addition to traveling and competing, Pupo and his wife Bruna have three young children at home — talk about a busy dad.
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Kolohe Andino
Although Kolohe Andino has yet to secure a CT victory, his resume is a stacked one. The second-generation San Clemente surfer had an impressive junior career, winning a record nine NSSA national titles and qualifying for the CT in 2012 at 18. Andino also has eight QS victories under his belt and had the honor of representing the United States in surfing’s Olympic debut in Tokyo. On top of his busy surf and travel schedule, Andiono and his wife Madison welcomed their first child into the world on December 2, 2021. Will she follow in her father and grandfather’s footsteps and become a pro surfer? We shall see.
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Jordy Smith
Jordy Smith came out of the gates strong, winning the World Junior Championships in 2006 and the QS in 2007. The South African finished runner-up on the CT in both 2010 and 2016 but a series of injuries has prevented him from claiming a world title. In between competing, training, and physical therapy, Smith and his wife gave birth to a baby boy in 2020, officially making him eligible to celebrate Father’s Day as a dad.
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Jack Freestone
Hailing from the Gold Coast of Australia, Jack Freestone first joined the CT in 2016 and began dating pro surfer Alana Blanchard. In 2017, the couple gave birth to their first son: Banks Harvey Freestone. In 2021, they welcomed Koda Riley Freestone into the world. Freestone splits his time between living in Kauai and Australia, being a dad, and traveling the world — his plate is full.
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A huge shoutout to all of the other surf dad’s out there…Happy Father’s Day!
