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April 24, 2007
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THE STAGE Billabong Pro: Teahupoo, Tahiti-Iti, May 4th-14th |
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Located half a kilometer off the coast of the fishing village of Teahupoo, this monster left-hand reef pass has become synonymous with waves of consequence. Surf journalist Gary Taylor wrote about it in 2000: "Teahupoo isn't a wave, it's a war zone. A freak of nature that some bastard decided to call a surf spot." Though it rarely grows taller than Hawaii's marquee spots, the marked feature of the wave is that it seems to have no back, appearing more like a tidal surge. Because Tahiti has neither a continental shelf nor an outer reef to diffuse the power of Southern Hemisphere swells, the backless beasts hit like sledgehammers, and head-high waves at Chopes have the power of double- or even triple-overhead waves elsewhere. Over twelve feet, the wave becomes too hard to paddle into, and that's when the event goes on hold and the tow boards come out. THE PULSE The unique aspect of the Billabong Pro Teahupoo is that because the wave is located a quarter mile from shore, spectating is done from the channel of the Passa Hava'e, where boats, kayaks, and surfers up for the 20-minute paddle join together in a sort of floating grand stands with a view straight into the barrel. "It could get huge, and it puts us all on the line in front of the closest crowd," says three-time Teahupoo champ Kelly Slater about the close proximity to the armada of onlookers. "It helps you to surf on an unconscious level where you're surfing for everyone out there." The intimate setup puts the crowd so close to the action it's almost dangerous, and stories of boats full of spectators getting cleaned up by wide-swinging sets are familiar. But nowhere else on the World Tour does the crowd get this kind of access to the art of tube riding. Though the wave is short and provides little room for fins-out surfing, it's the most intense ride on the tour, and everyone in the channel gets to feel it. "I would love to surf it on my forehand but whether it's a disadvantage or advantage being on your backhand really depends. You can always pump faster on your forehand but backhand you can ride the foam ball better so it's pretty close."
--Joel Parkinson
THEN Though it's probably been breaking for eons, big Teahupoo wasn't pioneered until 1986, when bodyboarders Mike Stewart and Ben Severson tackled it. Surfers frequented it throughout the 1990s, and it became a WQS tour stop in 1997. In 1999 it became a full-fledged World Tour event, and that year it was won by Mark Occhilupo on the way to his first and only ASP World Title. In the summer of 2000, Laird Hamilton towed into an eighteen-foot monster, the biggest ever surfed there at the time. Cinematographer Jack McCoy's footage of the event transformed Teahupoo from a crazy wave in a faraway place, to the most iconic oceanic mountain in modern surf history. After his ride, Hamilton wept in the channel. NOW Sure bets to make at least the quarterfinals are Kelly Slater and both Irons brothers, all three of whom somehow manage to ride the beast with style. Though Brucie's never had a win at Teahupoo, anyone who's ever seen him ride the foam ball there knows he's due. "There's been a lot of southern swell activity over the past month, so I hope it's going to be bombing for the event this year," says two-time Chopes champ Andy Irons enthusiastically. Andy started the year poorly with a second-round exit at the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks, but he rebounded quickly, finishing second to Taj Burrow at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach a few weeks later. Going into the Billabong Pro Teahupoo he sits ninth in the standings, but a good result at this wave that suits his surfing so well would catapult AI straight back into the hunt for his illusive fourth World Title. But Kelly, Bruce and Andy will have their work cut out for them. With all six former winners still on tour, it could be anyone's event. THE WORD "Storm activity has developed off Antarctica and the South Pacific early this year, already sending significant swells up through Tahiti and up to Central and North America. The week of the trials for the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo, Tahiti, will serve up more for the same good swell with waves in the five- to eight-foot range, and even a potential bomb around Sunday the 29th. Following that will be even more large swells that could dictate a three- to four-day tow-in fest between Sunday the 29th and Wednesday the 2nd. My e-mail and phone are lighting off the hook and the storm hasn't even happened yet! That strong fetch of gale force winds below Tasmania doesn't show any signs of backing off for a while so hopefully even more solid swells will spawn from this area for the beginning of the Billabong Teahupoo Pro."--Sean Collins' forecast for the Billabong Pro Tahiti event as of Monday, April 24, 2007 "I've been in some hairy situations out there. I remember when I lost to Poto [David], I had a really sore back at the time. I had some good medium-sized barrels and he didn't have much, and then right at the end a really big wave came through. I had priority and he asked me if I was going. I said 'Ahh ... nah.' I couldn't do it. It could have been my worst wipeout ever because I just didn't have the right mental space. I thought that was a good decision. I lost the heat because of it, but I saved my life."--1999 Teahupoo winner Mark Occhilupo on decision-making at Teahupoo "It's definitely a goofy's wave. I would love to surf it on my forehand, but whether it's a disadvantage or advantage being on your backhand really depends. I mean, you can always pump faster on your forehand and you can always get going quicker on your forehand, but backhand you can ride the foam ball better, you are pretty low on your board, so you can stay with it longer, so it's pretty close. But I still think being on your forehand definitely is an advantage."--Joel Parkinson weighs in on who has the advantage at Teahupoo, regular- or goofy-footers "If I had to pick my favorites, I would say Cory, Freddy P., Wardo, Pancho, Bruce, Occy, the Hobgoods, Parko...I have too many favorites. It's going to be a sick event, I can't wait to get there and get a few."--Andy Irons' hopes and predictions for the Teahupoo event, which officially starts May 4th MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |
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