TEAHUPO'O - TAHITI TRIP

Windsurfer and journalist / photographer Julian Schlosser leads an all French mission to Tahiti to score the legendary Teahupo’o in the company of Gallic charger Jules Denel. From teasing start to rewarding score, Julian tells the tale of a Tahiti trip that he won’t forget.

Words & Photos Julian Schlosser

Originally published within the October ’17 edition

“Everything started with a simple desire to go and visit Tahiti to visit my friend Baptiste Gossein. Baptiste is a French former pro windsurfer, one of the best of his generation, who had a bad fall at Teahupo’o surfing in 2009 that has confined him since to a wheelchair. Baptiste now lives in Tahiti and while he has returned to France a few times since his accident, my last visit to his Polynesian paradise was in 2005 and it was time for me to return. I have been thinking about it for years, but lack of time or means, meant I always had to postpone. This time, it felt right.

To make things interesting, I decided to take a Professional windsurfer with me so I could get some sick shots from the trip. The lucky pro comes from the north of France. It is not easy to get him out of his adored Wissant, but for Tahiti he didn’t hesitate long! Jules Denel will be my companion. For me he is more than just a rider. He is the worthy heir of the Baptiste Gossein generation or Julien Taboulet. Motivated, gifted, afraid of nothing, charmer, party animal. For me that is something very important. He has a personality, a style and burning desire to reach the highest level of our sport. It’s exactly what I am looking for.

I let him leave three days after me so that he can participate in the multiple festivities of the No Wind Défi Challenge 2017. Tahiti will help him to recover from multiple nights on the beer!

Shower time
My first three days allowed me to understand why on the peninsula where Teahupo’o is located, the vegetation is so green and dense. You arrive in Tahiti thinking about the paradisiacal landscapes and the lagoons like swimming pools but after three days of intense rain, there’s a little less dreaming. It’s difficult to boast of your tropical location on social networks with pictures of dream landscapes when the sky is so low, grey and water spouts transform gardens into fields of slush and make being in the lagoon impracticable because of no visibility in the water. But fortunately, these three rainy days will be the only ones of my stay. The next twelve days will only be sun and heat (with optional mosquitoes too).

Band of brothers
What I did not know before traveling with a northern French guy is that he rarely travels alone. He often has a band of ‘brothers’ with him and Jules is no exception. Indeed, he arrives in Tahiti on Sunday evening accompanied by two pals – windsurfers who have also come to discover Tahiti and its potential windsurfing. We will not be two but four. First up is Sylvain Bourlard, aka “Tom Cruise”, a very good wavesailor with no fear. He attacks lips, takes scary wipeouts but always comes back for more punishment! There is also Mathieu, “Mat de Mac”, a physiotherapist in Reunion Island, another ripper and a very good drone pilot. But that’s not all, we still have one more. He has lived in Tahiti for five years now and his name is Charles Vandemeulebroucke. We’ll call him what everyone else does though – “Charly Boy”, a lot simpler name! I first met him a few years ago in Wissant. After travelling a lot, it was in Tahiti that he found his place. He is a physiotherapist and knows most of the local spots. He sails, surfs and paddles…with the location of his house right on the lagoon, it would be a shame if wasn’t into all these sports!

Mission on
From the end of May to the beginning of June signals the return of south swells, the best direction for Tahiti but also a good time for wind forecasts too. It looks like we have an upcoming window of wind and waves for a few days, so it’s important we don’t waste time.

Jules and his mates had just arrived on Tahiti and after only two or three hours of sleep (due to jet lag), we all hit the road and embark on a boat at 09:30 for the neighbouring island of Mo’orea. On Tahiti, the wind wasn’t strong and according to Charly Boy and Baptiste Gossein, only Mo’orea could offer us a nice session. After 90 minutes by car, 45 minutes of boat then another 30 minutes of car, I confess that the view of our eventual spot was not encouraging. The wave is 1 km. from the shore, we send the Jet Ski to see if the wind has come in but nada. It’s flat calm. To add a little more good news, there is no more space in the evening boat back to Tahiti, so we will have to sleep here. The trip is beginning well. Fortunately a friend, Edouard, lives on a boat. He helms the Tahiti-Mo’orea ferries and has offered us bunks for the night and to take us back on the next morning’s first boat at 5:30 am. Winning! While we unpack the gear and consider swimming among the rays and sharks, a Mo’orea must do, Jules sees a gust of wind. We decide to wait patiently. It’s hot and humid so we look for shade; we did not even bring water with us! Then, suddenly, a refreshing slight breeze starts blowing and to our surprise, the sky clears. The boys go into the water and seem to have enough wind in their sails to get out to the wave offshore called Ha’apiti. Charly Boy brings me out there with his jet ski so I don’t miss any action. The guys are cranking out turn after turn on pristine walls of water with a few aerials. Our ‘bad’ day has turned into a perfect session in Mo’orea. We are in paradise.

The fact we are having to sleep here tonight on a boat is soon forgotten it was such a good session. After three hours of intensive play, it’s time for everyone to get back on the boat with the help of the Jet Ski before the wind drops. Little sleep from the night before + a big windsurfing session = tired bodies but smiles from having scored. To prolong the happiness, we end the day around a BBQ and a lot of Hinano (local beer) on Edouard’s sailboat. One by one the team succumbs to the tiredness and we go to sleep readying for our early start at 05:30, a boat we don’t want to miss!

Teahupo’o calling
When we arrive back on Tahiti at Papeete, the sun is barely rising. Jules, Sylvain and Mathieu have spent more hours on planes than on Tahiti so far but the rest has restored them. The wind forecast is good, it’s still light but seems to be picking up. It is around noon that Charly Boy picks me up by boat – yes, here you move more easily by boat than by car to get to Teahupo’o.

When we arrive at the peak, two or three surfers take a few waves before the wind forces them to go in. In the water, there is only Jules, Charly Boy, Sylvain and Matthieu. They have the spot to themselves, apparently a rare thing. I embark on to a boat skippered by Timo, a charismatic captain who was the first to have surfed Teahupo’o in the early 80s. I saw the session go down almost from the inside of the barrel I am so close to the peak at times. The swell is not west enough to offer classic Teahupo’o but there were still some southwest sets that offered an unforgettable show. What a joy to see this tower of water rise in front of you with such a thick lip like you’ve never seen before. Jules was pushing it the whole session, right on the edge of triumph or disaster while Charly Boy rode the wave of the day. After two hours of a dream session, maybe the session of a lifetime for some of our crew, it’s time to come in. Charly Boy has to get back to work (he’s not on holiday) and also because going to Teahupo’o by boat has a cost and more time at Teahupo’o = more money! If you want to surf or windsurf at Teahupo’o, a boat or Jet Ski is essential. Without it, you will arrive at the break tired and with not enough strength and energy to enjoy the waves.

The boys learn a similar lesson in the following days by going to the surf spot just in front of their house (about a kilometre paddle). After the paddle out and then the surf session, the return paddle is not so easy. On the other hand, for a good night’s sleep, it is the best!

Dream come true
Unfortunately, the rest of our stay brings no more windsurfing sessions. The wind is totally absent, unlike the waves, which, except one day, don’t stop. Jules is frothing on the world class surf, day after day. Being every day in the water – surfing, snorkelling or paddle boarding makes him quickly forget the lack of wind. Jules even admits that surfing as much as this is good physical training before resuming the PWA competition circuit again in July. And, outside the ocean, Tahiti is full of magnificent walks in lush green vegetation. One evening, with Baptiste, we return to take a look at Teahupo’o. The waves are not big but just so beautiful, watching them is indescribable pleasure. This is a live surf video. Thanks to Baptiste, my dream came true. Finally, after twelve years of waiting, I shot Teahupo’o from the water. Baptiste guided me on where to best place myself. From the water, with just my head out, the show is even more magical. Even Jules from the Jet Ski is gaping. These images will remain forever engraved in our minds. After fifteen days in Polynesia, it is time to return to France.

Merci
Thanks to Baptiste Gossein and Charly Boy for their welcome and help with the organisation of this trip. Thanks to Air Tahiti Nui for their support in airline tickets and excess luggage. There are not many companies that have this kindness to help us organize such a trip. If you go to Tahiti, you should know that surf gear is free to carry with Air Tahiti Nui, in addition to your 23 kg suitcase and that the company has agreements with TGV air enabling you to reach Paris CDG airport from 19 provincial towns.

Thanks to Sylvain and Mathieu for the video of good memories, Ben and Domitille for the BBQ, Alfredo for his daily help and Doc for making me laugh all the way through this trip.