Reality Check
SUP International|Winter 2018

It’s fair to say that the average surfer these days is more desensitised to the idea of heavy waves than the average surfer of twenty years ago. That’s not because people are necessarily surfing heavier waves; Philip Edwards first surfed 6ftPipeline way over half a century ago in 1961. But because we’re seeing a lot more of it. It does make you wonder, could I do it? Could I sell the house and live in the tube? What does it take to make a wave at one of surfing’s ultimate proving grounds? The wave in these photos in particular has held fascination since it exploded into the pages of surf mags as ‘the beast with no back’; sucking up from below sea level to throw surreal submarine tubes. We spoke to Benoit Carpentier and Shakira Westdorp (fresh from taking the women’s sup surf world title in China) on the technicality and reality of making it out alive…

Shakira Westdorp & Benoit Carpentier
Reality Check

Benoit’s Story

OK Benoit, please can you tell us all where this majestic bomb is? What’s it like getting there?

The one and only Teahupo’o! Definitely one of the most intense lefts in the world. You can get the best wave of your life here, or one of the worst wipeouts...Teahupo’o is located at “the end of the road” of Tahiti Iti, Tahiti’s peninsula on the barrier reef. It’s an hour’s drive from Pape’ete airport and ten minutes of paddling when you get there. During the main season there are a lot of surfers coming from all around the world to try to get the wave of their life. But once you are in the water the locals are super nice, there is always such a good vibe in the water.

Who was on the trip with you, and how long did you get to spend out there?

I got the chance to come to Tahiti for the Starboard photo shoot this year with a big crew: Zane, Connor, Shakira and many others. I spent three weeks in Tahiti, ten days staying at Matahi Drollet’s house on the peninsula with the Starboard crew and then the rest of the trip in between Teahupo’o, Pape’ete and Moorea island just with one of my mates from France and the local boys we met.

Barrels always look ‘easier’ in a photo than in real life, but how heavy was this session?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Winter 2018 من SUP International.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Winter 2018 من SUP International.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من SUP INTERNATIONAL مشاهدة الكل
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