Posted on 07/28/2012 8:50:56 AM PDT by jwsea55
On an outer Tahitian reef break known as Teahupo’o, Laird Hamilton road a wave so massive, so powerful, it redefined what big wave riders thought was possible.
There may be more ways of pronouncing Teahupo’o than there are letters in the English alphabet. Two of the most common are Chee-yow-po and Cho-poo. No matter how it is pronounced, when there’s large surf, Teahupo’o’s reef break is one of the most dangerous that can be surfed.
Unlike most of the world’s big wave spots that break as cresting waves in deep water, Teahupo’o is just a huge mass moving forward as a solid wall of water. As it reaches the reef, it creates an incredible, perfectly cylindrical tube for those brave enough to ride it. As the water hits the reef, forces of the crashing wave and this solid wall of water (that continues to push forward) literally explode into each other. And below the surfer? A shallow, razor sharp reef that has had almost all the water sucked out of it.
Below is a clip from Riding Giants about Laird Hamilton’s ride that redefined Big Wave Surfing.
Hamilton rides the big wave that changes surfing history
Teahupoo, Surfer Magazine, Laird Hamilton, Big Wave Surfing, Darrick Doerner, Greg Noll, Sam George, Matt Warsaw, Steve Pezman, Pat Curren, Jim Caldwell, Redondo Beach
(Excerpt) Read more at northshorehawaii.wordpress.com ...
He did not ride that wave some else made that happen
Here's some more Teahupoo porn photographed with the super slow-mo 720p. Unbelievable...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C04htNNYb9A
Too funny...first reaction on your comment was, 'uhhh????'...and then read your tag! If this isn't a refutation of that line, what is? Let's see that guy go out there on a wave like this.
I don't know anyone who surfs who would touch that wave!
Teahupoo is just such a different wave from your neck of the woods and Jaws.
...well, maybe a couple but they are you and...
Laird Hamilton, one of the greatest athletes ever.
I just read The Wave by Susan Casey which has a lot of stories about Hamilton. She was thoroughly impressed with the guy.
This is recycle old material from over 10 years ago. The question begs has Lairds ride there been outdone?
The obvious answer is yes. Jeff Clark soloed for how long out at Maverick's, a decade and half. Now look at that place. Look at what's happening at Nazare the last couple of years. Both Clark and Hamilton broke barriers of what people thought were possible. Once the barriers were broken, others who couldn't see what was possible before accepted the challenge. Should we take credit away from Wright brothers for those now going to the moon?
Something is wrong with the amygdala portion of their brains. Those videos are crazy.
You can’t really compare the two locations, as well as the rides.
Clark’s achievement at Mavericks can’t be overlooked, but you can paddle into those waves. Yes, you can paddle into waves at Chopes, but Laird’s tow-in was so deep into the barrel that if a surfer tried to paddle in at that location he wouldn’t make it out of that ride alive.
Chopes is notorious for claiming a lot of lives.
I have gotten stuck 'in-between' when it was 2.5 to triple overhead without a board. After that, I can appreciate these waves without any desire.
You nailed it! "...Teahupoo is a freak of hydrodynamics..."
Heaviest wave I’ve ever seen, and I’m from Hawaii.
What is it that kills these guys? Is it that they slam into the reef and go unconscious, or is it the swirling water under the wave that sucks them under?
I enjoy the videos, but there is no way in hell would I ever do that. I like the ocean on Blu-Ray from my couch.
It’s a combination of things. Chopes has a shallow break. The reef is just a couple of feet from the surface. Combine that fact along with a wave that breaks heavy, and you have little room for mistakes.
If you search the net for examples of fatalities at Teahupoo you’ll soon discover how dangerous Chopes is.
Sometimes they get dumped under the reef...sometimes they get knocked unconscious...sometimes they swirl in the sheer power and beating of the waves for up to 3 minutes. They say it is like being inside an industrial washing machine for 3 minutes...I’ll pass.
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