Toledo to Miss Bells, Likely Margaret River Too

Ready for a World Title race shakeup? Well, it looks like we can remove Filipe Toledo from the running in 2016, as the Brazilian looks like he’ll miss the next two events of the Championship Tour season. Toledo injured his groin when landing an aerial maneuver at Snapper Rocks during the semifinal of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. His landing was altered by some backwash on the wave, causing his body to be compacted much more than he likely expected. Toledo was a warrior out there, though, toughing out the remainder of the heat and nearly winning it. It was clear, though, in watching Toledo surf the remainder of the semifinal that he was in pain and unable to perform to his usual level.

It's easy to forget how dangerous aerial maneuvers can be.
Courtesy of Stephen Tyler PJs

It was a big hit to lose Toledo from the Quiksilver Pro, as it appeared that he was headed for a second consecutive win there. What’s even more significant, though, is that this essentially removes him from World Title contention. A lot of people thought 2016 would be Toledo’s year, as he came close to winning it all last year. Missing two events, however, makes it nearly impossible to accrue enough points to contend for the World Title. Toledo will look to get healthy and compete in as many event as possible, but the repercussions will be felt throughout the CT ranks in the wake of this news. As if the upset-riddled Quiksilver pro didn't cloud the World Title race enough.

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