Stab Magazine | A Look Behind The Curtain Of The Year's Most Thrilling CT Event

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

289 Views

A Look Behind The Curtain Of The Year’s Most Thrilling CT Event

Featuring Teahupoo’s biggest day in five years from the channel, a lesson in Poisson Cru, and “Playful Chopes”

cinema // Sep 7, 2019
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Europeans first set eyes on Tahiti in the 1500s. Two hundred years later, Captain Cook and his crew enjoyed a short residency, before western influence finally got its hooks in the island, commencing with the famed mutiny of the SS Bounty. The mutineers, as well as the ship, remained on Tahiti permanently, and with them came whalers, penal colony merchants from Australia and elsewhere. 

Over the next three hundred years, the island’s mannered, communal culture, lush green volcanic mountains and gorgeously tanned locals captured the imaginations of the French, most famously intellectuals and artists like Paul Gaugin as well as painter Henri and political philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau. 

 

Symetry August 17 2019 8197 DMosqueira

How’s this curvaceous Tahitian stunner?

Photography

Domenic Mosqueira

What Hawaii is to the US, Tahiti is to France, and in 1946, Tahiti became an official French overseas territory, along with the rest of French Polynesia. 

“It feels like Hawaii in the old days, I bet,” says Nathan Florence. “Even though the island is older, it has that same feeling.”

On this episode of No Contest, we get a lay of the land at The End of the Road and spend a day in the channel during the biggest, most impressive swell since 2014. 

Matahi Drollet August 17 2019 0419 DMosqueira

Teahupoo wildcard and perennial standout, Matahi Drollet.

Photography

Domenic Mosqueira.

Where most destination on the World Tour are relatively developed, Tahiti is the epitome of a humble little island village. Instead of hotels, resorts, or even AirBnB’s, surfers stay at local’s Homestays—idyllic homes on the Teahupo’o Point, with host families they’ve often known for decades. For our visit, we landed on our feet at local lord Tahurai Henry and Miss Tahiti Hinatea Boosie’s beautiful pad, along with Sebastian Zietz, Yago Dora, Wade Carmichael, BadBoyRyRy, aka Ryan Miller, and a host of others.

Ace August 18 2019 9593 DMosqueira

Ace Buchan’s no stranger to Tahiti’s remarkable beauty.

Photography

Domenic Mosqueira.

Tahurai walks us through his recipe for poisson cru, a Tahitian take on ceviche or poke, comprising fresh, raw tuna, grated, milked fresh coconut, and plenty of lime and veggies. Trust us, this is a dish you’re gonna want to have a swing at: “break the mouth” poisson cru, as Tahurai calls it. 

Winding down the seventh episode this season, we get in the water with Jacob Wooden during one of the handful of “playful” days at Chopes, and ride off into the Tahitian sunset. 

This No Contest Tahiti.

T.Newton SethMoniz Claim August 17 2019 8119 DMosqueira

Tyler Newton up front: all hail Chopes!

Photography

Domenic Mosqueira.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025
Advertisement