Tahiti Day 4: Finals Time

Another perfect glassy offshore morning as I look across the lagoon where our tent is pitched. My back is complaining and I only slept a few hours but we've had morning prayer, discussed more of the future of the mission and caught up with Abe Andrews, the ASP Men's World Tour chaplain.

Gordy and I do the 15 minute paddle out again to catch the last 4 heats of the contest. We can't believe our luck...well it's way more then luck as we booked these tickets 6 months ago never imagining we will have seen one of the most memorable surf events in history.

We see tube after tube with an excited crowd from the best seat in the house sitting on a surfboard in the channel. Kelly Slater and Owen Wright put on an amazing final and the "old bald man" Slater, age 39, defeats the 23-year-old rookie.

The hooter goes, everyone flocks to the finalists...and only 4 paddle over to the break. I figure I might as well be one of them and since they all make it look so easy...actually it isn't!

I had local advice, "Be careful paddling for a smaller inside one because those west bowl sets can nail you," quietly nudging me...as I paddled for a smaller inside one when it came.

The largest west bowl set of the day; huge, blue, and a solid 8ft, pitching right on my head! I quickly realized I couldn't out paddle it so bailed in a metre of water and experienced some of the most violent turbulence ever. Took another on the head, creased a rail but was still able to get one tube and a couple of left overs and paddle back in.

Saw the end of the presentation ceremony, watched Kelly mobbed and Owen left alone. Caught up with Abe again then back to Papeete to Kevin's where we inspected a car sized hole in his front yard that had been sucked out of a hole in his sea wall due to the massive impact of the swell. Tehani cooks us a great dinner and we are treated by the kids Manaari and Heirani with dessert. Email catch up, a late night prayer and it's another midnight.

I would like to come another time and get to know this place!

Tahiti Day 3: Sunday Sunny Sunday

Wow, after terrifying, grey 10'-15' Saturday, it's now sunny glassy blue 8'-10' Sunday and the biggest paddled waves in the contest history. Everyone is out there for one of Tahiti's largest events.

But while the world watches the world's best surfers compete at one of the world's best waves with one of the world's best resourced surf companies, another meeting is taking place. Twelve ragged surfers and friends are meeting in a makeshift garage with bread, salad and water to discuss the spiritual needs of the Tahitian surf community. It's the first national gathering of such like minded "kingdom of God" by Christian Surfers Tahiti. There's no live telecast. There's hardly any interest by the church. For 24 years Kevin has generally been misunderstood by the surf community for being a Christian, and misunderstood by the church community for being a surfer. Today, we hope, he has found some more partners.

After some great conversations and encouragement we paddled out to Teahupoo to watch the last 5 heats. Amazing, flawless blue barrels and a huge flotilla of "Sunday afternoon" drivers. Mum dad and kids on jetskis, giggly 12-year-old girls on plastic kayaks, grandparents in boats, babies with floaties and the pro surfing World Tour all cheer the surfers into the best tubes of the world circuit....and they are all less than 50m from the deadly reef!!

Back at Norman's place we feast on peanut butter and jam rolls with banana in our tent like groms. In God's providence the other Brazilians staying happen to be fired up Christians from Hawaii and we have some worship, share our Jesus journey, open the Bible and, despite our differences - no actually because of our differences - it's a taste of heaven.

I happily fall asleep this night to the ongoing roar of the ocean.

Tahiti Day 2: Teahupoo With Teeth

 

Day 2 here and we wake to the sound of a jet plane and house rumbling. It's not the airport, it's a 10-15' swell! The lagoon has filled and waves are crashing against Kevin's sea wall. He lost his stairs last night (and later the walk itself would collapse and part of his front yard join the sea).

Rather nervously we made our way to Teahupoo. Along the road every possible surf spot was out of control. Huge plumes of spray blowing off the waves and detonations up to 30' blow out the back of breaking sets.

The carpark is full at 'Chopes' and I'm amazed to see a channel full of boats and spectators! No way can they hold the contest and the police have already warned people that the high commissioner has declared the water off limits with potential of a fine. As if that is going to deter the worlds best big wave tow specialists in front of a world tour crowd!

We scam a lift in a water taxi $20 for 30 min but a friend Norman says we can join his boat after that. Once out the swell is so thick and too west. I can't believe the numbers of boats, skis, boards etc. There's mums, kids, girlfriends, grandparents, et.c like it was a Saturday venture to the park! The worlds heaviest wave is having one of it's heaviest days and everyone is oohing and ahhing from a channel so close the spit descends over them after each set.

With the west swell it's basically catapulting into a closeout. I see only 6 waves cleanly exited in 5 hours. The rest are detonated beyond imaginable. Raimano has already gone to hospital that morning after one wave. Then a Brazza face plants the reef, another breaks an ankle, another gets stitches. Most tow partners are sporting bandages and blood.

We motor back exhausted from the adrenalin of watching the adrenalin. A beautiful orange sunset across the glassy lagoon is deceptively calm until you see the black silhouette of the whitewash (blackwash?).

Camping out in Norman's backyard, Gordy and I eat salad baguette rolls. It feels like we're groms on a surf camp sleeping on a board bag - but my back doesn't cope the way it used to.

Praying for the next day as we hold the first national meeting of key interested people.

Tahiti Day 1: Rising Swell

After a 4 hour delay in Auckland we arrived at 3:30am in Papeete. A few hours sleep and we were up. We checked the surf to find it 8ft+, then met with Kevin to encourage him, pray and assess. We drove around the main breaks, with most too big. A crazy rippy surf at Papara dusted the jet lag off.

The Tahitian high commissioner has banned any water entry tomorrow. Kevin says the 6.1m surf is as big as any he has seen forcast. News report says Billabong wants to sue the commissioner!?! We will see what the morning brings. Surf is pounding the sea wall at our place already. I'll be glad to wait on shore.

We will be camping at Teahupoo tomorrow for 4 days and hold a national meeting there Sunday. Quite a first day!

Americas Conference 2011 Video