Big Wave News

Eddie swell lights up archipelago

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 December, 2009 : - - Well actually Eddie couldn't make it , but the swell that rocked Waimea Bay on dec 7 and 8 Th.  made it down to the Tuamotu archipelago a few days later. A crew of  tahitians chargers scored uncrowded perfection  and some of the largest right handers ever surfed in French Polynesia. Vetea David, Manoa Drollet , Alain Riou, Raimana Van Bastolaer, Thierry Domenech, Arsene Harehoe and Teiva Joyeux.

Both Alain Riou and Manoa Drollet surfed the swell in Hawaii and flew out shortly after.  Alain surfed Waimea on Dec 7th when it was big and ugly and made the home page of Surfline with a heavy wipe-out.  The next day, he followed  the show at the bay.  Kelly Slater and Greg Long battled it out for the biggest prize in a big wave paddle surfing contest.  Manoa, on the other hand, made it to Maui and dropped into a few bombs at Jaws with his team mates Mike Parsons, Luke Egan and Rasta.

       
Alain Riou sequence : Tim Mckenna

Both Alain and Manoa arrived back home as the swell started to hit on a secluded reef-break somewhere in French Polynesia. Raimana Van Bastolaer came for the first 2 days and scored a few rides on his short board and some crazy drops on his stand-up paddle board.  Having other commitments in Hawaii, he had to leave early.  On the last trip we did to the break back in 2004 Arsene hurt his neck on his first session and missed out. Thierry never made it and Teiva was still living on the North Shore.  All three did not want to miss any of the action this time round.

Vetea David happened to have been on the atoll for nearly a month with his girlfriend Teina, fishing and surfing perfection every day, mostly by himself.  To happy to go right .  Sometimes Teva and Steve, the only locals willing to challenge the break, would join in.  On news of the large swell, Poto got us all motivated to pay him a visit.  He even built a 12-foot-high wooden scaffolding the morning before the swell, just for the camera crew.  The extra height made his tower the ultimate vantage point for filming and checking the line-up.

       
         Manoa Drollet & Thierry Domenech                                        Alain Riou

Full gallery & story


www.tmk-poster.com
www.tim-mckenna.com
www.timmckennaphotography.com

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