2x World Champ Filipe Toledo Withdraws From 2024 Championship Tour Season
After withdrawing from the Pipe Pro on opening day, defending world champion Filipe Toledo has shared that he will not be competing on the 2024 Championship Tour.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce today that I am withdrawing for the remainder of the 2024 Championship Tour season,” Toledo said on a social media post. “This decision has been so hard for me to make, and it comes after days of discussion with those closest to me. The WSL has been very supportive, and I am very grateful that they have granted me the wildcard for the start of the 2025 season. I am committed to coming back better than ever.”
“In the past, I have been honest about some of my challenges not only with injuries, but also with mental health. Competing at the highest level for the past decade has taken a toll on me, and I need a break to recover for the next chapter of my career,” he continued.”
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“The platform of the CT has given me everything - it is a dream life that has allowed me to support my family in ways I could never imagine and have incredible experiences. I love this. I live for this. I have so much respect for my fellow competitors, both the men and the women on tour. You guys are amazing.”
“I have so much passion for the sport, but I need some time off to fully recover so I can come back stronger than ever. I appreciate the support and loyalty of my family, friends, sponsors, and the WSL. I hope my fans around the world understand this decision and will stick with me when I return to the tour next year. I wish my fellow competitors a great CT season ahead. I will be watching!”
Toledo was criticized by segments of the surf media and online surf fans for his decision to withdraw from Pipe, claiming that he was “scared” of Pipeline. Having made the quarterfinals multiple times over the course of his career, including a big win over Bruce Irons in flexing Backdoor surf, it appeared there may be more to the story. As Toledo notes, he’s been open about his struggles with mental health.
In a pre-season interview with Toledo he noted that the offseason had been more challenging than others due his competitive success. The only surfer from Brazil to win back-to-back world titles, he talked about the added professional pressure, while still trying to be a loving and attentive father and husband.
Toledo has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will take place in Tahiti this July. He has not made his Olympic intentions known at this time.
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With more than 25 years of writing about surfing, the ocean and action sports, Jake Howard continues to share stories, profiles and issues that shape the surfing world. One of the premier subject-matter experts in the field today, he's savvy in the ways of print, digital and social media, his breadth of work is expansive. Getting his start writing Surfline surf reports and recording the phone reports for 976-SURF in the late '90s, Jake served as the managing editor for Surfer Magazine in the early 2000s before moving on to launch RedBullSurfing.com and cover surfing for ESPN and the X Games. Over the years, Jake has also enjoyed time behind the edit desk at The Surfer's Journal, as well as the World Surf League, where he worked as the Senior Editor for a number of years. Beyond producing editorial content, Jake has served as a digital marketer and copywriter for iconic surf brands such as Quiksilver, Roxy and Rip Curl. Writing thousands of pages of copy for Surfline, he has deep SEO experience as well. The surf columnist for the San Clemente Times, Jake continues to dedicate himself to the culture and history of the sport through his involvement with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente.