Surfing
Surfing
Follow Tyler Newton to Tahiti for the best day of the year at Teahupo'o
When a huge swell showed up on the charts in May, Hawaiian pro surfer Tyler Newton packed his boards and travelled to Tahiti to join Teahupo'o's local surfers for the swell of the year (so far).
7 min
Tyler Newton scores perfect early season Teahupo'o
Filmmaker Ryan Moss follows Hawaiian pro surfer Tyler Newton to Tahiti for a perfect May swell at Teahupo'o.
You may have noticed the Southern Hemisphere's best waves coming to life for the winter a few weeks back. Nowhere was this annual phenomenon more beautifully – and also terrifyingly – illustrated than in Tahiti, at the surfing world's most adored shallow-water South Pacific gem, Teahupo'o.
In the hectic hours before a proper swell sprinted straight for the Chopes shelf, Hawaiin charger Tyler Newton hurriedly packed his boards and caught the next flight to Pape'te, Tahiti's capital city.
Raimana Van Bastolaer's Teahupo'o bomb
© Shane Grace
Mihimana Braye holds on as the Teahupo'o shockwave hits
© Shane Grace
Matahi Drollet, celebrating the wave of the day
© Shane Grace
Makai McNamara, sitting pretty in a Teahupo'o beast
© Shane Grace
After a day of medium-sized, but super fun surf at a lesser known wave near Teahupo'o, Tyler woke up the next day to find the kind of big indigo walls that every pro surfer dreams of. With little wind and a swell that promised to pulse all day long, Tyler settled in for a seriously memorable day.
As you'd expect, Teahupo'o's locals ruled the day – guys like Raimana Van Bastolaer and young Matahi Drollet scored some of the biggest waves, along with Chopes chargers Mihimana Braye and Makai McNamara. Click on the video above to stand alongside Tyler as he walks us through what was one of the best days of the year (so far!) at Teahupo'o.
