Everything about Teahupoo totally explained
Teahupo'o (pronounced Cho-pu or Te-ah-hu-po) is a world-renowned
surfing location off the south-east of the island of
Tahiti,
French Polynesia, southern
Pacific Ocean. It is known for its heavy, glassy
waves, often reaching 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) and higher. It is the site of the annual
Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition, part of the
World Championship Tour (WCT) of the
ASP World Tour
professional surfing circuit and used to be one stop in the
World Tour of the
International Bodyboarding Association.
Teahupo'o (or 'Chopes as it's sometimes called) is so deadly as it's a reef break. It is mainly left-breaking, but the outer reef also creates right breaks that
surfers must be cautious of when paddling out. Teahupo'o is also renowned for the consistent number of "barrels" it delivers. It is a rewarding location and is widely regarded as being on the 'must-surf' list of every enthusiastic surfer. However, only experienced surfers in peak physical condition should attempt Teahupo'o; heavy waves combined with a shallow shoreline can result in serious injuries and even death in a
wipeout.
Tahitian
Thierry Vernaudon claims to be the first to ride Teahupo'o, having done so in
1985 with some other locals. They rode much smaller waves, however, than those often featured in photographs and videos of Teahupo'o.
Bodyboarding pioneers
Mike Stewart and
Ben Severson surfed Teahupo'o in 1986 and it soon became an underground spot for thrill-seeking bodyboarders. Few professional surfers rode Teahupo'o during the early '90s and it was only in
1998, at the Gotcha Tahiti Pro, that Teahupo'o became widely recognized as having some of the heaviest waves in the world. On
August 17,
2000 Laird Hamilton is credited with surfing the heaviest wave ever ridden, documented in the film
Riding Giants. In 2003 the late
Malik Joyeux successfully rode one of the largest waves ever ridden.
Keala Kennelly was the first woman to tow-surf Teahupo'o in May 2005, getting a 10-foot barrel ahead of the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest.
This challenging break has been conquered by many top
windsurfers, including Jason Polakow and Levi Siver. Jeremie Eloy, Julien Sudrat and Yannick Salmon were the first
kitesurfers to ride Teahupo'o in September 14th 2006.
Further Information
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