Few places in the world are as ominously named as the Tahitian surf spot Teahupo’o, which translates literally as “wall of skulls”. The left-hand reef break gets its name from the nearby village where it’s said that a tribal battle once ended with the victors displaying their enemies’ skulls, but the macabre moniker also tells you all you need to know about this beastly wave.
During south and southwest swells, great slabs of ocean cascade over the coastline’s shallow, razor-sharp corals, creating barrels measuring upwards of 10ft. The waves at “Chopes” are as heavy as they come and the wipeouts deadly serious. In its 128-year history, the modern summer Olympic Games may never have witnessed sport as wild as this.
