Watch Filipe Toledo Air Drop Into This Wave at Teahupo’o

A couple of heaving left-hand tubes have dogged Filipe Toledo his whole career, or at least the perception of Filipe Toledo’s worthiness as a world champion. In case you haven’t heard, his career track record at Teahupo’o and at Pipeline isn’t the greatest. And haters love to claim it’s because he’s afraid of them.

That’s all subjective though. Only Toledo really knows how he feels about those waves — whether he’s just got the yips, some bad luck, or shallow tropical reefs really aren’t his jam. The reality: Toledo has consistently delivered his worst results at Teahupo’o in 10-plus years on tour, making it to the quarterfinal just once in 2018 and finishing with a loss to Owen Wright in the semifinal. Bowing out of the Lexus Pipe Pro when this season kicked off only fanned the haters’ flames about Filipe Toledo versus heavy left-hand tubes.

With a spot on Brazil’s Olympic surf team, Toledo has to surf at Teahupo’o this summer. He won’t be a heavy favorite if you take his competitive history into account. But who knows what a few months off have done for the reigning two-time world champion? Either way he’s in Tahiti putting in some work. This clip popped up on social media Tuesday showing Toledo airdropping into one — a highlight we’d all look right past if it were just about any other surfer. It doesn’t look like a guy who’s afraid of Teahupo’o.

The post Watch Filipe Toledo Air Drop Into This Wave at Teahupo’o first appeared on The Inertia.