Teahupoo, Bodhi, and the Fifty Year Storm
While many eyes have been on Indonesia and the large swell due to hit the island chain, another large swell is due to hit Tahiti shortly. Over the weekend a strong and pronounced node (peak) of the Long Wave Trough positioned itself just east of New Zealand. This steered and strengthened a very large and deep polar low from below Tasmania, under New Zealand, aiming a fetch of severe-gale to hurricane-force (50-70kt) winds directly towards Tahiti.
Subsequently a large, long-period and strong S/SW groundswell has been created, with the forerunners due to arrive later this evening in the 22 second range. The bulk of the swell is due to fill in tomorrow Australian time (Thursday in Tahiti) peaking through the afternoon with Swellnet's automated surf forecast model estimating 15-18 feet. It's hard not to agree with this, especially when we're looking at a 4 metre swell at over 17 seconds.
If the recent Billabong Pro Tahiti was in the just-barely-paddleable size, this coming swell will fall clean into the tow only category. And just like the last day of the contest, the winds are looking excellent with moderate offshore N/NE winds through the morning and more variable winds into the afternoon. The best combination of oversized swell and winds we've seen so far this year.
So if the swell is hitting tomorrow when can we expect to see the footage? The next day? Or next week maybe..? Well, despite being the biggest swell of the past couple of years none of the footage will appear on the 'net. None will appear in print either. In fact very few people will even see the waves break. That's because Teahupoo is in lockdown for the shooting of Point Break, a remake of the original 1991 film that starred Keanu Reeves as FBI agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as the improbable surfer/criminal, Bodhi. This swell will be the 'Fifty year storm' which, in the first film, was supposed to be Bells Beach yet strangely had Redwood trees growing on the headland.
Not everyone is bummed about the shutdown at Teahupoo though. Dylan Longbottom and Laurie Towner have been cast as stunt doubles for the actors playing Johnny Utah and Bodhi. The two surfers will have Teahupoo to themselves for the peak of the swell. Longbottom has made twenty boards for the film, both tow and paddle, but unless the script calls for a freefall onto flat reef only the tow boards will be used during the shoot.
And when it's over? The wave will get opened up to the public once the shoot is finished, and then the film is due to come out in July next year. So that's when everyone will be able to see the footage of this swell...in full cinematic style.
PS: It's worth noting that the same swell will impact the Hurley Pro at Trestles next week. It'll be much smaller and inconsistent, but still generated by Bodhi's 'Fifty year storm'. // CRAIG BROKENSHA and STU NETTLE
Comments
They will have to open it up surely!!
you would have to hope sanity prevails
isnt laird hamilton over there as well and involved in the film? dare say he would be all over it
you can still watch the action....the sets aren't bad right now...
https://www.tahiti-webcam.com/webcam-teahupoo-live-hd.html
PS: I hope they still use the old line of ' young dumb and full of ...."
Mike good get that one. Never even knew it existed.
Yeh its not too bad, and you can also check out all the French beachies too.....
tittycam
Round 2 at Sapinus ???
I wonder if Dave will pack his filleting Knife ?
Classic movie, hopefully #2 lives up to the hype. At least they're shooting in proper waves haha.
www.surfline.com/surf-news/teahupoo-closing-for-filming-point-break-as-…
Bodhi swell west coat style.
Here 'ya go... You can sit on your sofa and shit your boardshorts all day long.
In slow motion.
No shortage of swell at chopes today,the wave cam link from above [mikesurf] shows a very consistent building swell and be interesting to see how big it gets by sundown....
l towner D longbottom take care boys.
I just saw a natural footer get whipped into a crazy bomb,and theres a goofy paddle surfer catching a few.
Can someone ask those boats to move they're blocking the view.
!
Dark misty conditions at Chopes and starting to look like a re run of the code red day, its nearly 5pm there .....what will tmoro bring.
'Tis only 3pm Udo.
Oops Time for a set of glasses . swell still building you think ?
Honestly have no idea. Forecast says so but without buoys or on-site feedback it's impossible to know. We'll hear shortly though once they all come in.
watching this static cam gives a good perspective on just how psycho paddling to bombs there is. It's so fucking fast and heaving and 1/2 of em are section-ey
the towing is suicidal. You just see this trail hell deep, go below sea level and the lip pitching out and across as fast as fuck, then someone kicks out into the channel next to the boats
Oliver Em captured this amazing image of Matahi Drollet from today at Chopes. Looks like they could tow around the filming. https://www.facebook.com/oliver.poeiti
Thats such a sureal photo.
Awesome.
Is Poto still part of that scene there....?
Drollet. He'd be a local hey...?
Bomb'n.
Heavy and crazy story from Laurie Towner, all the best mate! https://instagram.com/laurietowner
"Teahupoo gave me a good old fashion flogging yesterday on my 3rd wave. I let go of the rope on an a evil little west one. It was a pretty slow swell an although I should of kicked out I decided to go anyway. I could tell the lump of swell was going into the channel which generally means it's a close out or a really fast west one. I hit my head on the bottom an must have blacked out because the next thing I can remember is being in the lagoon gasping for air in calm water. Apparently there was a bigger wave behind an no one saw me surface so I'm not sure if I had a 2 wave hold down or the wave I was on sent me straight to the lagoon. Either way I'm really Lucky an grateful I'm still here. I got myself a broken jaw some stitches in my lip an eye lid whip lash to my neck an back and a couple small puncher wounds that went through my neck an into the back of my mouth that apparently just missed an artery. Just want to thank every one who helped me though out yesterday really appreciate it! I'm all good an as positive as ever! I'll be back when my jaw is good. In the mean time @bronandloz is coming to hang by my side because I can't fly for a while see ya soon!"
fark........amazing that wave hasn't claimed a life at that size/
all the best for a speedy recovery LT.
Quick recovery to you Laurie T.
Hoping that Pt Break crew cover your medical costs.
Will the producers write that wipeout into the Point Break 2 movie !
You are a young legend LT.
Stab Mag story on L Towner hints that waivers may have been signed.
So who were the very well known surf chargers ' punching on ' out the back when this swell was on ? mentioned on Dylan Longbottoms blog.