The Heaviest Wave in the World

For those of you who don't surf, you may be unfamiliar with the Tahitian monster that is known as Teahupoo. Named after a small village this break faces Southwest into the Pacific Ocean and catches some of the largest swells ever seen. This break is know as the "heaviest" wave in the world. Though it may not be the tallest wave ever ridden, you can see by the picture above and video below that the thing that sets this spot apart from all others, including Mavericks and Hawaii's North Shore, is the sheer mass of water that is moving when the big swells hit. The wave can be up to 15' THICK (front to back) and breaks on inches of water over some extremely dangerous reef structures. So far five surfers have died trying to master this wave. Paraprasing the words of Bohdi from Point Break "Every once in a while, mother ocean sends a swell to Teahupoo that reminds us just how small we really are."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SWgCHGoBpo&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

More Video of the Billibong Pro Surf Contest at Teahupoo

THIS is the result of a bad wipeout at Teahupoo. Read more about Keala Kennelly's wipeout at the break here.