Most of the Top 34 stuck in Tahiti waiting for the Billabong Pro to be called on have been frozen in a tropical groundhog day that by now must be getting on their nerves. It’s been six days since a heat was in the water and that’s six days worth of island time, where the days are quiet, humid and mind numbingly slow.
I remember willing a contestable day of competition to materialise after four days of straight nothings during the Fiji Pro earlier this year. The Pacific, albeit beautiful, hums at a very low frequency and about all you can look forward to is meal time, beer time or swim time when the ocean ain’t baring fruit.
But while Teahupo’o might not be producing anything contestable there’s still been the ritual freesurfs that allow for the world’s best to blow out the cobwebs and pass the time between meals. And for the blow ins, hangers on, pit crew and WSL Commissioner, Kieren Perrow, that means it’s time to make hay while the sun shines.
Film/Edit: my.SURF.tv