It seems that Filipe Toledo was born to do what he does. His father was a pro surfer. His brother was a pro-level surfer. But Filipe always had that extra bit of edge–an edge that sometimes gets him in trouble as it did this year with a one-event suspension following his outburst at the Oi Rio Pro.
But no one is harder on Filipe Toledo than the 22-year-old world title contender himself. His family isn’t worried about him winning a world championship. His peers seem to know it’s going to happen. All the pressure is coming from Toledo as he quests to get that monkey off his back. Proof that when it comes to competitive prowess, and being able to close the door and get it done, the best athletes are just born with it. And even though the jury is still officially out, that seems to be the case with Brazil’s favorite modern surfer.
