INSANE Surfing yesterday in Tahiti!
 

Right now the Billabong Tahiti pro surf contest is going on and yesterday the surf was too big and dangerous to hold the contest so a bunch of guys and at least one girl went out and free surfed one of the most dangerous waves on the planet on one of the biggest if not the biggest day ever. I know most here won't fully comprehend what they are doing but its about as extreme as one can get and not die.

Here is the link to the live contest happening now with smaller waves. kelly Slater's will be up in an hour or so.

http://billabongpro.com/tahiti11/live-gb



Here is a short video from yesterday's epic session.

Looks awesome. I've been thinking of taking up surfing.

I watched it... some sick action going on there!

Awesome!

Those are some huge swells! Holy shit!

That's awesome! I just watched "High Water" last night, great flick! :thumbsup

a few seconds before what I think would be a pretty painful wipe-out, water can be a monster!

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/1233/67592551.th.jpg

They just said on the live feed that yesterday a surfer fell and his shorts were ripped off his body so a jet ski had to pick him up a carry him naked back to wherever he could get some more shorts.

One thing to consider is those waves are breaking on a coral reef that is just a few feet below the surface.

surfers are crazy, even if i could do what they do i wouldn't - surfers who have the balls to surf waves like that die fairly regularly. i bet more surfers die than auto racing drivers.

great life though, exotic locations, the beach, surfing, chicks/sex

Monster waves.......

goddamn..

Gnar, I notice that one badass has straps to his board. Is that the standard for tow in and big wave surfing? Seems smart.

yes, that is pretty much standard

Get your heart pumping.

Actually there have been very few fatalities for surfers surfing at this level. My guess is around six in the last fifteen years or so. A few pros have died at Mavericks in CA the past few years and one or two in Hawaii and one at this Tahiti break

On the other hand there are probably many more surfing related deaths that happen to those that are inexperienced. The key here is you have to keep your head above water or you drown. Fall down and break your leg or knock yourself out snow skiing and you can just sit there to help arrives.

Sadly just yesterday a man drowned while surfing at my regular beach. I talked to him a few times and sent him some pictures I took of him surfing. He was so stoked to get the pics and said he was going to show them to his students that surfed. A genuinely nice guy that loved the lifestyle you spoke about. Its so sad to see someone who is so full of life lose it without warning. :Oh crap

Here's a link to the story

http://www.wesh.com/news/28999514/detail.html

The most epic surf pic I've ever seen was from this break..

http://www.surfingwalls.com/images/w..._1-784291.jpeg

Surfs up dude

Insert catch a wave by the Beach Boys :glugglug

That was pretty cool :thumbsup

Spectacular views!

Phantom HD Footage:

What break is that? That pic is so photoshopped btw... but still very cool looking :thumbsup

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JYMMIcMstE.../SurfNaked.jpg

Cow-a-fucking-bung-a!!! :stoned

ADG

Seriously, I don't see how those dudes near the end who bail can survive that shit

Always had the same question. Really, how do they do it??? :helpme

that`s amazing!

insane swells going on
they ve been waiting for it
wont happen again for a long time...

Did you even look at the videos posted in this thread?

Seriously, how can you come in this thread full of video evidence that the picture is 100% real and then claim it is photoshopped :upsidedow

I'd say you're clueless but in this case there were plenty of clues :winkwink:



On a side note I'd like to point out that the white patch of water in the upper left side of the picture is where the reef is and at this point in the picture is almost totally exposed due to all the water being sucked up into the wave.

The surfers objective is to ride the wave along the edge or shelf of that reef and make it to the end. If they fall before that they could get slammed into or dragged over the reef. That and the incredible volume of water moving at speed with power is what makes this so extremely dangerous.

Those guys are fuckings nuts. :helpme mad props.

A little better version of the first video I posted.

Crazy stuff, those are some big ass walls of water.

wow some crazy action. Looks cool

Great waves!!

Was Bruce Irons i think lol

Yes, it was Bruce :thumbsup

http://www.surfermag.com/wp-content/..._tw14745_1.jpg

Thats some amazing footage!!

This is a great video.

Which part is photoshopped? I think they removed some pimples from the guys back in the foreground..