The World’s Best Give Wipeout Tips At Chopes, The Next Gen Of Tahitian Chargers And Much More

“Just go down straight, don’t look at the wave behind, just go!”

This is the advice given by Matehau Tetopata, one of Teahupoo’s brightest young stars (who learned to surf there standing on a bodyboard), to anyone who finds themselves linking up to tango with mass of Pacific Ocean at the End of the Road. 

As you’ll discover during Stab and Red Bull‘s latest No Contest instalment, Matehau isn’t the only future face of Chopes. There’s actually a healthy band of whippersnappers throwing their lanky bodies into bombs with aplomb.

Some are calling the island’s next gen the sharpest yet – perhaps we’ll be seeing their names on CT leaderboards in the coming years? Or on the other hand, they might prefer to go XXL, or (more likely) end up starring in a Wipeout Of The Year reel…

During our French Polynesian soiree we looped in with local talent scout and coach, Tereva David, whose job it is to seek out groms like Matehau who are bound for big things in surf and help them blossom, jagging a few shots of them weaving tubes and occasionally getting spectacularly pitched in the process.

Speaking of wiping out, we asked the question; what’s the best way to come unstuck at Teahupo’o?

Is it during takeoff, with the hopes of a surface penetration that might evade explosion, but with the possibility of a secondary set wave faceoff?

Or, is it better to stick the drop, lock into an angry west bowl section, charge for the channel and get evaporated as it bends in on itself? Or would the focused energy and shallower reef be more of a threat to one’s wellbeing?

Dive in above for everything you didn’t see from this year’s placid, but no less wonderful, Tahitian tour stop.

Or slide your gaze to the No Contest rearview below: