Filipe Toledo conquered the 2018 Corona J-Bay Open, in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. It's his seventh Championship Tour (CT) win.
The final got underway in six-foot surf, with some southeast wind affecting the waves, and adding chop to the faces.
The Avoca Beach surfer was looking forward to winning his first CT event as a rookie. The Brazilian aerialist wanted to claim the iconic contest to reclaim the yellow jersey and his lead in the rankings.
The challenge was to accelerate and overcome the fast-breaking sections of the wave, but both surfers managed to land and perform board slides, floaters, cutbacks and close-out re-entries.
Both surfers caught their first waves on the same set and ignited the crowd with an exciting display of speed and classic arcs.
However, they fell on the critical turn and weren't able to complete the ride for the judges. More exchanges were traded, but the South African contest was still up for grabs.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Toledo was beating Carmichael by 0.10 points. Everything was on the line, but the winner of the 2017 J-Bay Open had his eyes on the prize.
Wade waited patiently for his turn to answer back, but Filipe's hot blood lit the line-up with a secure, conservative, and possibly overscored ride that put an end to the Australian's hopes. Toledo has never lost a CT final.
"I just want to laugh! It's been so much fun. It's a crazy feeling. Back-to-back titles at Jeffreys Bay is something that I've always dreamed of. We've had crazy waves. Carmichael surfed good and took down a few good surfers," expressed Filipe Toledo.
"I feel blessed. In finals day, something clicks and, for me, it's now or never. That's my strategy - go big or go home. It's all about finishing first or second. So, I put all my work on the wave. That is why I train, and I'll keep doing my thing."
The next stop on the CT schedule is the Tahiti Pro Teahupoo. The comp runs from August 1-21, at the infamous reef break.
2018 J-Bay Open | Final
1. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.80
2. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 15.33