Filipe Toledo knows what it takes to win the Vans US Open. His explosive brand of surfing earned him the title here in 2014. He looked well on his way to repeating in 2015, but lost by less than a point in the Semifinal.
Filipe Toledo has advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Vans US Open for the third-straight year.
That loss seems to be fueling him this year. Toledo has marched confidently into the Quarters, and the conditions at sloppy Huntington play right into his wheelhouse. He has the whole making-something-of-nothing thing locked, but if there's one thing we know about this event is there are no guarantees.
At this point the Vans US Open is a CT event. Six of the final eight surfers remaining are on the elite tour, while Aussie phenom Ethan Ewing and Brazilian Bino Lopes are the last QS stars standing.
Round Five highlights from the Vans US Open in Huntington Beach.
Toledo will face a very motivated Michel Bourez in the last Quarterfinal. Both are expectant fathers, and Bourez already knows it's never too early to start saving for diapers and college funds. By the time they hit the water they'll know the next obstacle: Kanoa Igarashi or Bino Lopes.
On that side of the board the stats alone predict a Toledo vs. Igarashi Semifinal clash. But any predictions of that Semifinal are well within the margin of error when you consider Igarashi's home-field advantage.
A Quarterfinal win would be a huge boost for CT rookie Ryan Callinan, who's been having a rough year. But he's got a tough draw in 17-year-old Ethan Ewing. - WSL / Sean Rowland
The Quarters will begin with an all-Australian battle, with Ethan Ewing trying to keep his improbable tear going over CT rookie Ryan Callinan. Frankly, Callinan needs the win more. He's been getting beat up on the CT and is nowhere near making the grade right now on the QS, so he needs points.
With his second Quarterfinals berth in a row, 17-year-old Ethan Ewing is the hottest ticket on the Qualifying Series right now.
Ewing, meanwhile, is going to make a giant leap up the QS ladder with this performance. It's his second-straight Quarterfinal berth in a QS10,000. And the 17-year-old from North Stradbroke (also home of Bede Durbidge) says he has no real intention of competing on the CT next year because he doesn't feel like his mature enough...oddly enough, that level of self-awareness almost proves he is ready.
Adriano de Souza is making the most of his California summer. - WSL / Sean Rowland
But the winner of that battle will face the winner of the Adriano vs. Seabass match, which is sure to be exciting. Both have been performing at the top of their game this week, and honestly, while we're on the subject of self awareness, it's worth noting that De Souza and Zietz share the same incredibly grateful attitude for the stage they've been given. Odds are pretty darn good they're going to make a show of it.
Seabass has surprised everyone in HB this week, just like he did at Margaret River.
Filipe Toledo Leads Charge Into Quarterfinals
WSL
Filipe Toledo knows what it takes to win the Vans US Open. His explosive brand of surfing earned him the title here in 2014. He looked well on his way to repeating in 2015, but lost by less than a point in the Semifinal.
That loss seems to be fueling him this year. Toledo has marched confidently into the Quarters, and the conditions at sloppy Huntington play right into his wheelhouse. He has the whole making-something-of-nothing thing locked, but if there's one thing we know about this event is there are no guarantees.
At this point the Vans US Open is a CT event. Six of the final eight surfers remaining are on the elite tour, while Aussie phenom Ethan Ewing and Brazilian Bino Lopes are the last QS stars standing.
Toledo will face a very motivated Michel Bourez in the last Quarterfinal. Both are expectant fathers, and Bourez already knows it's never too early to start saving for diapers and college funds. By the time they hit the water they'll know the next obstacle: Kanoa Igarashi or Bino Lopes.
On that side of the board the stats alone predict a Toledo vs. Igarashi Semifinal clash. But any predictions of that Semifinal are well within the margin of error when you consider Igarashi's home-field advantage.
The Quarters will begin with an all-Australian battle, with Ethan Ewing trying to keep his improbable tear going over CT rookie Ryan Callinan. Frankly, Callinan needs the win more. He's been getting beat up on the CT and is nowhere near making the grade right now on the QS, so he needs points.
Ewing, meanwhile, is going to make a giant leap up the QS ladder with this performance. It's his second-straight Quarterfinal berth in a QS10,000. And the 17-year-old from North Stradbroke (also home of Bede Durbidge) says he has no real intention of competing on the CT next year because he doesn't feel like his mature enough...oddly enough, that level of self-awareness almost proves he is ready.
But the winner of that battle will face the winner of the Adriano vs. Seabass match, which is sure to be exciting. Both have been performing at the top of their game this week, and honestly, while we're on the subject of self awareness, it's worth noting that De Souza and Zietz share the same incredibly grateful attitude for the stage they've been given. Odds are pretty darn good they're going to make a show of it.
Ethan Ewing
Featuring Gabriel Medina, John John Florence, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Molly Picklum, Barron Mamiya, Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, Ethan
Featuring Gabriel Medina, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Vahine Fierro, Caroline Marks, Sawyer Lindblad, Ramzi Boukhiam, Ryan Callinan, Kanoa
Featuring Ethan Ewing, Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, Italo Ferreira, and John John Florence.
Ethan Ewing is back in the WSL Final 5 as the No. 4 seed after his runner-up finish in 2023. Here's how he got here.
Featuring Gabriel Medina, Griffin Colapinto, Yago Dora, Leonardo Fioravanti, Erin Brooks, Ethan Ewing, Tatiana Weston-Webb, and Rio Waida.
Vans US Open of Surfing (QS)
Brasileiro repetiu o título de dois anos atrás no maior palco do esporte na Califórnia e Bino Lopes entrou no G-10.
O Brasil segue firme na busca do título do campeonato mais tradicional dos Estados Unidos.
Tatiana Weston-Webb and Filipe Toledo earned the highly prized top spots at the Vans US Open of Surfing.
Can we please just call this Brazilian the undisputed king of beachbreaks now?
With his acrobatic air game intact, Filipe Toledo is never out of any heat. His full rotation helped get him out to an early lead in the