“We Don’t Want to Be Robbed”: Surfing Fans Left Furious as Another Controversy Hits WSL Days After Surf Ranch Outburst

One common observation about this year’s WSL tournaments is that they are rife with controversy. The exclusion of supporters from the WSL’s judging system gave rise to these disputes. The community erupted with assumptions as the Surf Ranch Pro saw American surfer Griffin Colapinto dominate the tournament, shocking Brazilian surfer Italo Ferreira. But controversy followed controversy in El Salvador when Brazilian surfer Filipe Toledo soundly upset defending champion Colapinto, sending the surfing world into a tizzy.

The red jersey dominated the competition as the world witnessed the return of the Brazilian superpower. Highlights of the WSL finals between Colapinto and 2022 World Champion Filipe Toledo, which were posted to YouTube, sparked outrage among surfers.

Fire in the waters of El Salvador

The next stop on the Championship Tour was Punta Roca, El Salvador, a world-famous right-point break. The tropical setting was stunning, but there were also some intense surfing competitions to see. While American surfer Caroline Marks was declared the winner of the women’s competition in El Salvador, Filipe Toledo and reigning champion Griffin Colapinto were in a must-win situation to determine the men’s title. On the seas of El Salvador, it was a battle of the red and yellow teams, and the crowds knew things were about to heat up when Colapinto turned up the pressure.

ALSO READ – Days After Controversial Win, American Surfer Proves Critics Wrong With Yet Another Commanding Show in El Salvador

While Colapinto was having trouble, the Brazilian surfer scored 9 points on the fourth wave, giving him a large head start. Despite adding 4.93 points to the total, the American surfer was still well behind Toledo. In the next wave, Toledo scored another 8.33, bringing his total heat score to 17.33; despite his best efforts, Colapinto could only score 12.10, and Toledo took the championship away from the American surfer.

According to the WSL’s statistics, the 40-minute competition was a nail-biter, with fans correctly predicting the victor. Surfing fans were caught off guard by the WSL’s assessment of Colapinto, and many took to social media to express their displeasure.

Something that the surfing community isn’t happy about

The surfing community is not satisfied with the WSL’s decision, which has been mired in controversy after controversy. Fans flooded the comment area when footage from the El Salvador finals was posted on the official YouTube channel with negative feedback.

One fan talked of the two sides of a coin, saying, “It’s no use valuing Felipe’s grades too much, we are in favor of a fair trial, we don’t want to be robbed or favored, but even so, Felipe won!!” Despite accepting the fact that the Brazilian surfer deserved the title, this fan also had problems with the scores; as they say, “Felipe clearly won the heat but come on that was overscored. These WSL judges criteria is ridiculous.”

Again, there are comments talking about the ‘overscore’, as one read, “I am a Felipe fan and it’s too obvious the overcompensation of numbers in this heat! At least the best surfer in this what won!” One comment related the situation to the Surf Ranch Pro, as it read, “Filipe was overscored but definitely deserved the win unlike the surf ranch where Griffin was overscored but didnt deserve the win. Judges are all over the place, what a shame”

The last time this happened, only Brazilian fans were complaining about the WSL’s scoring system. This time, though, the whole surfing community is involved, and everyone is waiting for an official announcement.

WATCH THIS STORY – Watch This Rare Natural Phenomenon at Scenic Surfing Destination That Will Make Your Day