Teahupoo: CODE RED

The heaviest wave in the world, just threw a temper-tantrum

Genres

Overview

On August 27, 2011, the Billabong Pro Tahiti event on surfing's World Tour was placed on hold due to a massive swell bearing down on the famed big-wave spot, Teahupoo. Paddling into waves was out of the question and the Billabong Pro was given a layday. In one of the most talked about sessions of the decade, history was made as a handful of international chargers whipped into some of the most nightmarish waves ever surfed in Tahiti. The swell proved to be so immense that the Tahitian government issued a "Code Red" warning, banning the surrounding seas of boats and watercraft. The lineup at Teahupoo, it seems, was an exception. See the historic day through the eyes of two surfers -- the young gun Laurie Towner and the veteran Dylan Longbottom -- as they catch some of the biggest, most dangerous surf ever recorded, much of it captured with the super slow motion Phantom Camera for never-before-seen imagery.