Surfing Greats : Teahupoʻo, Tahiti
Powerful blue water, shallow reef and stunningly beautiful land and sea, Teahupo’o is one of the great waves and a special destination for surfers from around the world.
The site for surfing at the 2024 Olympics Teahupo’o is a place I was lucky to visit with a few very special people when they surfed the waves 20 years before the Olympics.
Laird Hamilton and the first time SUP or stand up paddle was ridden in Teahupo'o.
Garrett McNamara who would go on to star in the HBO Special 100 foot Wave, was dragged on the reef and cut up after riding a giant wave. An epic day but later that evening fishing line needed to be used when the sutures ran out.
The most elegant surfer in those days was Malik Joyeux whose family was an important part of the local community. Tragically, Malik died in 2005 while surfing at Pipeline in Hawaii.
