This months field report comes from Tahiti where I was working with the media team for the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo. The team consisted of Mandy, Jesse, Jason, James, Joel, Brook, Gordo, Robbo and myself. This would have to be one of the most exciting events I've had the honour to attend.

The trials were held in perfect 5-6 ft surf at the legendary point. The eventual winner was "Poto" David, the former WCT competitor and Tahitian surfing ambassador. With his local knowledge and huge fan base of Tahitians in the channel cheering him on, he convincingly beat Hawaiian surfer Conan Hayes in a close final.

The following day was the start of the contest waiting period and with continued perfect swell it was obvious that the event would start in the morning. A slight problem came up when a third of the WCT top 44, all coming from Australia, arrived in Tahiti with all their luggage and boards still sitting in New Zealand.

Contest director Chris O'Callaghan, quickly went thru the head sheets and could come up with 9 heats they could run on the first day in perfect 6 ft conditions. The waves were beautiful and those with boards were able to surf their heats and get some free surfing in. Those whose boards did not arrive were unable to get a loan of anyone's equipment because snapping boards at Teahupoo is an easy bet. No one who had their boards wanted to risk having a mate snap one before the contest.

The following morning I got up at 4 am unable to sleep. Reports were that the swell would double from yesterday that already had some smokin sets. Along the way to the point to check the surf, I spotted Nathan Hedge on his push bike with his board under his arm. I stopped to interview him. "Hedgie" was amping, ready to be the first on out as he'd been everyday for the past two weeks. Hedgie loves his surfing and a more passionate dawn patroller you'll never meet. I wished him good luck and off he peddled into the dark.

I next went over to Mommy and Poppies guest house where Rasta, Rick Yacko, and Andy Irons were staying. Poppy was the former World Spearfisherman several times over and had the knowledge and respect of the ocean. We were lucky to have him and his boat at our disposal during the event. This morning would be no different. He would be there for everyone of Andy's heats as both boat driver and supporter. In the morning darkness I could see him getting the boat into the water and ready to take us out there as Andy and Rasta had breakfast and selected the boards they would take out to the line up.

At the first little bit of light we went out and in the line up was the contest director on a jet ski checking conditions. Only guy in the water was Hedgie who'd paddled out the channel in the dark. It was obvious that the waves were unreal, clean and BIG. Easily in the 8-12 ft range. Paddling into these beasts would take guts to paddle over the ledge. Rasta and Andy were straight out there.

Because the missing surfboard were not being delivered until after 9 am, the event was postponed until 10 am, leaving the morning perfect conditions to a "free surf" that was one of the most exciting 3 hours of surfing I'd seen in as many years. The obvious hungry chargers were Rasta who showed everyone why he is considered one of the best surfers in the world today. I cannot give him enough praise for his attack on some of the biggest and best waves of the morning. Same goes also to his room mate Andy Irons and his brother Bruce. Both of them were leading the charge. Hedgie was going hard as well as the Hopgood brothers. Shane Dorian was swimming in the pit with a waterproof instamatic clicking off some personal snaps. Poto was out on his 10 Malibu standing proud and tall in the hook on a couple of bombs. A couple of Brazilin surfers slotted into the rides of their lives, survived and then paddled back to their boats to reflect on what has just happened.

The spectator fleet was getting crazy, trying to jockey for the best look at the thrills and spills that were going on the powerful reef. At one stage a large set came thru and took out a boat that had been tied to the safety line. With people swimming and paddling around on everything including innertubes, boogie and surfboards, inflatable toys and anything else that would float, I'm amazed that no one was seriously injured by getting caught up in a prop of the many boats that were reversing and zooming around full of people. The safety crew of Eric, Richard, Brian, Poto, Aresene, Raimana, Didier, & Patrice had their hands full rushing to the rescue of anyone who took a wipe out, and keeping the crowd safely at bay. The water safety crew can be described only as the very best. It was amazing to watch them at work in such full on conditions.

Shortly after 10 am the water was being cleared for the event to start. The missing boards had finally arrived and in the first heat was Luke Egan who arrived a few minutes before the start of his heat not so much as having seen what conditions would meet him. A few moments later the hooter sounded and Luke attacked the like up like the champion that he is. Stroking straight into the biggest and gnarllest set wave, I can still see him in my mind, digging deep to get into the beast and then taking control the the situation calmly and casually. It was great to watch.

There were many other heats that were just as exciting. There were however some competitors that wanted to get stuck into the big waves and others who wanted nothing to do with it. For Rasta, now sitting in the channel on Poppies boat, seeing these sort of waves being unridden, or guys pulling back on was very frustrating. Soon he returned to shore bummed that some of the top 44 were not that hungry for what was being served up.

As the day progressed, there were a couple of honourable mentions that should not go un noticed. On one picitular monster, Shane Powell clawed his way over a ledge and into a deep throat that had everyone screaming. Although the foamball inside the monster ate him up, it was the peanut gallery who declared that wave as one of the most exciting ridden during the event.

Sitting in the channel with the rest of the spectator fleet was Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, there to watch and support his good friend, Kelly Slater. Eddie came up with the classic quote of it being like "sitting in a circus that was next to an earthquake." Despite arriving late for his heat, breaking two boards, borrowing Pat O'Connells board, no leg rope, and wax in his mouth, Kelly won his heat and advanced.

Late that afternoon, a couple of 12 ft plus sets came thru and it continued to be a great day in surfing contest history as it pumped till dark.

After that one day it was hard to get too excited about the conditions. It was still 8-10 ft, but obviously smaller and slightly overcast. Some of the remaining heats were fantastic and the surfing continued to be of a high standard.
After three more days of competition in good conditions it came down to the last day. They needed to finish 4 heats of the 4 th round and then the QT and Semi finals and the final. The surf was solid 4 ft and compared to most competitions, was great competitive surfing. When it all came down to it, it was Andy Irons and Luke Egan in the final.

Luke started the heat on the hooter and in the first 15 minutes of the heat Luke had runaway with it, Andy needing a combination of two waves to even get on the board. He'd surfed every heat up until now perfectly and it looked like he could do nothing right. Every wave he pulled into shut down on him and Luke kept finding the little barrels. On Camera Boat # 4, Hedgie, draped in a towel printed with the Ozzie flag, lead a Luke Egan cheer squad that really rattled Andy. It was Andy and Luke who decided that it would be a 40 minute final and that may have been a bad call for the Aussie. Andy, fuelled by frustration at some poor waves, and the yelling for Luke from the Aussies, finally came up with a 9 point ride and started his comeback. I don't think there were many people who felt that Andy would come back, but come back he did. With 5 minutes to go Andy was in the lead, and Luke pegged him back. With seconds before the end of the head, Andy collected at great last wave and won what many consider to be the closest final in ages. It was a fantastic two out of three wins for the Hawaiian after winning the Rip Curl Bells contest a few weeks before.

That night at Mommies and Poppies we celebrated with fresh fish and plenty of cold beer. It was a fantastic event that will go down in competitive history for some amazing surf and surfing. The Tahitian Surfing Federation, Contest Director Chris O'Callaghan, Event Producer Bushy Mitchell, Head Judge Perry Hatchet and all the judges, ALL of the workers behind the scenes and everyone in the media departments, deserve a huge THANK YOU for making the event so successful. Thanks to Billabong letting me be a part of it.

Day after the event, Shane Dorian, Andy Irons, Rasta, and their ladies will join Ted Grambeau and myself on the Cascade for a little island hopping that will start the new production I'm hoping to start. More on this upcoming film in our next report. Aloha Jack.