“Matahi Drollet took the perfect line through an impossibly heavy, crazy loud, building-sized tube — and straight into surf history.”

The jury is out if this is the biggest wave ever successfully ridden at the legendary surf break at Teahupoʻo on the southwestern coast of Tahiti, in the southern Pacific Ocean but we can appreciate its magnitude as calculations are made. Hats off to French Polynesian surfer Matahi Drollet for slaying this dragon.

Wave of the Day: Matahi Drollet, Teahupoo, Aug 13, 2021

Matahi Drollet is no stranger to giant Teahupoo. His older brother Manoa (along with Raimana Van Bastolaer) was among the first crew to really charge here over a decade ago; Manoa was also the one towing Matahi yesterday, during one of the biggest swells to hit that bit of reef since Code Red in 2011. We covered the day in realtime, where Kauli Vaast caught (but didn’t make) one of the most mutant, biggest waves ever in the morning. Others, including Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca and Eimeo Czermak, were whipped into and made XL beasts through the course of the day, but Drollet played the patience game. This paid off around 5pm, right before sunset, as the swell peaked and he was whipped in the perfect spot by his brother and took the perfect line through an impossibly heavy, crazy loud, building-sized tube — and straight into surf history.

Video: Tim McKenna

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