Surfpolitik Making the Right Moves at Teahupoo

In: Surfpolitik by Stu Nettle 11 Comments Fri 7th May '10

Tags: Billabong , Teahupoo , Flynn Novak

Stuart Nettle
May 7, 2010

Pointing out mistakes that people make is a lot of fun. Trust me, I'm a professional. With a working keyboard and no accountability I'm free to pass comment on the machinations happening within the surfing world. I'm free to judge the movers and shakers who make the decisions and bear the responsibilities. And when their decisions backfire, well, that's when the knives get sharpened. Like I said, it's an awful lot of fun.

Now...this year Billabong has moved the Teahupoo World Tour contest from it's traditional timeslot of May back to August. After five years of dud waves they went deeper into the season in search of better surf. The move gave me an idea for a story - pointing out another mistake of course! - and all I needed to happen was for Tahiti to pump during May while the pros were elsewhere enjoying their rescheduled mid-season break.

So I've been wishing for May waves at Teahupoo.

Big waves when the comp would've run? I'd point it out. Take that Billabong! Take that ASP! That'll learn yers, moving the competition schedule around willy-nilly. And I'd sit back in smug self-satisfaction after calling attention to yet another silly mistake.

But things aren't going quite to plan...

At this early stage the move by Billabong looks like being a good one. The competition would've begun this Sunday the 9th May and, as yet, there are no significant swells on the Teahupoo charts. Hawaiian Flynn Novak is currently staying at Teahupoo and had a surf at the reef this morning (Friday). He said it was "around head high" and, while he got a barrel on his first wave, it was the only one of the session. "There wasn't that many barrels coming through", said Novak.

Nor does it look like there'll be many for the rest of his stay. Over the coming week a large high is set to push off the east coast of New Zealand effectively shutting down Tahiti's main swell window. Next Wednesday a small low is predicted to form directly south of Tahiti and the pressure gradient between it and the high will send a medium size, but short period swell to Teahupoo. It will also be directly south and pushing wide of the main bowl at Teahupoo.

Later next week a low is set to form in the Tasman Sea providing swell to the east coast of Australia. This is another portent that the Tahitian swell window is quietening down in the short term as this will further block systems that generate swell for Tahiti.

So the contest organisers must be feeling vindicated with their decision right about now. But rest assured, if a contestable swell hits the Teahupoo reef between now and the 20th May - the last day of the waiting period - I'll be the first to pour scorn on those blundering executives at Billabong.

Postscript: For the next two weeks we've got Aussie expat Simon Thornton giving us daily updates on the swell at Teahupoo. Tune in to see if it's time to pick up the pitchforks.

Postpostscript: Keep tabs on the swell yourself here

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