Surfers Shred Monster Tubes in Tahiti: Big Pic
-
March 24, 2010 -- When a group of world class surfers paddles into swell like what was pouring into Teahupoo, Tahiti, last week, you know you're in for a show. Sure, you've got to wonder about big wave riders' sanity as they go up against waves the size of two- and three-story buildings. But they leave no question about their addiction to adrenaline.
In the picture above, Hawaiian surfer Shane Dorian rips down a wave toward cameraman Fred Pompermayer, who has parked himself on a watch boat. That's pretty impressive. Just one question: what happens when that beast of a wave reaches the boat??
Answer: it rides way up over the swell, giving all on board a sense of vertigo. In this video, shot on the same day, you get a sense of how big these waves are. Surfer Raimana van Bastolaer rides through a huge barrel and out before the cameraman loses him behind a mountain of water. Then he rockets back into view, flying off the wave face easily 15 feet into the air. Sick:
Even better, Dorian and van Bastolaer's rides came just as this year's Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards season is coming to an end. Both rides are up for the Ride of the Year award, and there are tons more awesome videos of the other nominees posted on YouTube.
Image: Billabong XXL
-
our sites
-
video
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
comments ( )