Teahupoo

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Coordinates: 17 ° 51 ′  S , 149 ° 16 ′  W

A wave rider in Teahupoo

Teahupoo (also called Chopes ) is a surf spot in the Pacific off the coast of Tahiti in French Polynesia .

Teahupoo is known for its powerful, hollow breaking waves . This wave and the coral reef responsible for the wave formation , which reaches up to 50 cm below the water surface, have earned the spot the reputation of being particularly dangerous.

While the average wave height in summer is 1–1.30 meters (3–4 feet ), in winter the wave can reach well over three meters.

Teahupoo is one of the stops on the ASP World Tour and the venue for the Billabong Pro Tahiti Surf Contest .

The Tahitian Thierry Vernaudon first claimed to have surfed Teahupoo with some friends in 1985 . This action, however, was demonstrably relatively small waves that cannot be compared with the monstrous breakers of today's “Big Wave Sessions”. In 1986 , some bodyboarders discovered the wave for themselves, while it took until 1998 for Teahupoo to gain the rightful reputation among surfers as the “Heaviest Wave in the World”.

The wave achieved fame when the Hawaiian tow-in surfer Laird Hamilton dared a spectacular ride on August 17, 2000 , which can be seen in the surf documentary Riding Giants .

Winner of the Billabong Pro Tahiti Surf Contest
year Surname origin
2019 Owen Wright OUT
2018 Gabriel Medina BRA
2017 Julian Wilson OUT
2016 Kelly Slater United States
2015 Jeremy Flores FRA
2014 Gabriel Medina BRA
2013 Adrian Buchan OUT
2012 Mick Fanning OUT
2011 Kelly Slater United States
2010 Andy Irons HAW *
2009 Bobby Martinez United States
2008 Bruno Santos BRA
2007 Damien Hobgood United States
2006 Bobby Martinez United States
2005 Kelly Slater United States
2004 CJ Hobgood United States
2003 Kelly Slater United States
2002 Andy Irons HAW *
2001 Cory Lopez United States
2000 Kelly Slater United States
1999 Mark Occhilupo OUT
* The ASP World Tour distinguishes between the USA and Hawaii.

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