Filipe Toledo Unloads In Freesurfing Highlight Reel (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 7:41 PM ET

Filipe Toledo, the two-time WSL world champion, just dropped nearly 20 minutes of unseen freesurfing footage from his year off the Championship Tour in 2024. Fresh off the ice, and it’s red hot.

“Raiz y Sal” (Root and Salt) features Filipe and friends surfing a barrage of fun points and beachbreaks in Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Brazil. If his win at Burliegh Heads didn’t remind you how fast he can take apart a wave, this will.

Between sessions, Filipe offers segments of reflection and contemplation from his decision to leave the tour due to stress and to spend time with his family. At age 30, he had been full-time on the CT since 2013. Burnout is real.

“There was a lot of pressure, a lot of demands,” Filipe said in the intro. “And I needed a break. For having been fighting for this for 10 years, having sacrificed many things in my life, for surfing, for the world tour, for having spent good times and bad times. Because I believed, because I’m doing this for my family.”

However, to compare competitive surfing to “challenging like war” may be a bit melodramatic. Filipe is a generational talent, and, understandably, competing at a high level requires sacrifice on multiple fronts. There’s an emotional/psychological cost, even for the greats. But… war?

All in all, Filipe seems more content, happier and healthier this year. He's sitting ninth on the CT leaderboard and has that win on the Gold Coast to his credit. And with J-Bay next on the schedule, the future is bright.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: