Big Moments in Tahiti

The 2024 Olympic surfing competition was held at the notorious Teahupo’o in Tahiti—a wave so fearsome it makes the Grim Reaper look like a lifeguard on a coffee break. This isn’t just any wave; it’s a snarling beast that has claimed five lives and countless close calls, including the tragic demise of local legend Briece Taere in 2001, who was tragically sucked over the falls of a 12-footer. Big Wave Surfing In the sport of surfing, there’s surfing, and then there’s big wave surfing. The latter is a sport so perilous it’s second only to bull riding or base jumping, depending on which adrenaline junkie you ask....