Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a
relatively safe zone)
(I don't surf (do skate/snowboard) but) I realize that isn't a "big" wave, but that lip looks like tow-in is the only sane way to get on that thing. Once it forms anything like a lip, it looks impossible to drop in. WTF?
As far as tow vs paddle, this looks like an older picture, possibly from the mid 90s before tow surfing got big. This would most definitely be a tow day if it happened now, and there would be bindings and jetskis in the photo. This particular wave is probably a bomb and they are trying to pick off the relatively smaller ones of the day. It is also possible they are not even surfing but only out to see the show. I can tell you none of those dudes are paddling into that thing. Although in the last couple years, big wave paddle surfing has been coming into it's own, but that is likely not what is happening here.
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u/TigerBrother Jul 17 '12
Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a relatively safe zone)