OCEANSIDE, CA — June 13, 2025 — In what may go down as one of the most electrifying heats of the year, Griffin Colapinto and Filipe Toledo squared off in the Round of 16 at the Trestles Pro on Wednesday, captivating fans with a back-and-forth battle that pushed both surfers to their limits.
The men’s competition throughout the day was packed with standout performances. Judges awarded six heats with “excellent” scores — totals of 16.00 or more — and came close to a seventh, missing it by just 0.07 points in Kanoa Igarashi’s round. There were 14 single-wave scores in the excellent range, including a 9.33 from Crosby Colapinto, which, remarkably, wasn’t enough to push him through to the quarterfinals.
But the clear highlight was Colapinto versus Toledo — a matchup that delivered drama until the very last second.
Toledo held the lead for most of the heat with a two-wave total of 15.50, while Colapinto sat with a single score of 7.07. With 10 minutes remaining, Colapinto began his comeback. He landed a 7.9 with just under eight minutes left, closing the gap and leaving him needing a 7.61 to take the lead.
Then, with under four minutes to go, Colapinto launched into a powerful air reverse that looked like it might be the score he needed. But the judges gave it a mark just shy of the requirement, leaving him still trailing.
Toledo, holding priority, responded with a wave at the 50-second mark. He delivered his highest score of the day — an 8.3 — after executing a clean, full-rotation aerial that landed in front of the wave’s whitewater. The score had not yet been announced when Colapinto got one final chance, 30 seconds before the buzzer.
On his last wave, Colapinto strung together three huge maneuvers, finishing with a powerful blowtail turn that sent spray flying off the back. He threw a fist pump in celebration. On the inside, Toledo watched and clapped in recognition of the effort.
The beach crowd waited in suspense as both surfers came to shore. The final scores weren’t posted until after the heat ended, with fans crowding around. When the results were revealed, one surfer was mobbed with hugs and cheers while the other made a quiet exit — an emotional ending to a remarkable heat.
For those who haven’t watched it yet, it’s well worth the time.
The Trestles Pro continues on Saturday, June 14, with what could be a high-stakes finals day.