Well, Filipe Toledo took the yellow jersey from Kanoa Igarashi. Winning the Bells Beach event was the thing that bumped him up — an extra 10,000 points never hurt anyone — and on top of a second place finish in Portugal and two ninth places at Sunset and Pipe, he’s sitting atop the rankings.
Filipe’s journey to being a serious world title contender has been a long one. Remember back in the day when no one thought he’d ever get comfortable in big waves? The Tahiti event, in which he didn’t paddle for a wave, really got the naysayers naysaying. But Filipe, like all champions, took a hard look at what he needed to improve and improved. With an unbeatable small-wave game, he’s focused on his shortcomings.
Now, of course, it doesn’t matter what size it is. Filipe will spin and go, and he’s going to be a threat. Sure, he might not be a Pipe specialist just yet, but he’s solid enough in the big stuff to take heats all day long.
It seems only a matter of time. Or is this his year? The World Surf League stitched together all of his excellent scores so far this season, and we dare you to say he’s not looking sharper than ever.
