Kelly Slater said it was the best wave paddled ever at Teahupoo. Sebastian Zietz considers it the heaviest drop ever in Teahupoo history. Have your say.
The surfer in the footage is Nathan Florence. Despite feeling extremely nervous, the young Hawaiian decided to try his luck. He paddled early to avoid getting sucked up the face, and the wave allowed him to stay in the surf line.
Nathan Florence pumps for speed, grabs rail and hopes to leave the cavern in one piece. In the end, he makes it. "That was probably the best wave of my life," noted the surfer from Haleiwa.
In the past, Andy Irons nailed one of the most challenging rides in the history of Teahupoo. But Nathan Florence may have done better with a super deep take-off, and a near-vertical drop into the abyss.
How can you rate a ride like this? Where do luck, commitment and skill fit into a flawless escape at Tahiti's haunted wave?