More so than most marquee surf spots spanning the globe, Teahupo’o is a wave where the locals perpetually outshine visiting surfers.
Of course, there are certain non-locals who have staked their claim as top dogs at the Tahitian slab – Kelly Slater, John John Florence, Cory Lopez, Laird Hamilton, just to name a few throughout the annals of surf history. But time and time again, it’s the homegrown talent that’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at the End of the Road.
And before the surf world turns its eyes to Teahupo’o for the WSL’s Outerknown Tahiti Pro – August 8th-18th – the Tahitian locals were fortunate to score moments of perfection at their homebreak, all to themselves, before the circus came to town. Photographer and longtime Chopes lensman, Ryan “Chachi” Craig, was on the ground for those sessions, specifically witnessing a new crop of talent coming up at the French Polynesia slab.
“It’s cool to see the younger generation like Kelia [Mehani Gallina] and Terevanui [Thornton] both surfing so good for their age,” Craig said. “You can see what Vahiné [Fierro] and Kauli [Vaast] have done. They’ve created a blueprint for what’s possible for surfers coming out of Teahupo’o. I’m not saying that’s all they wanna do; but making a name for yourself, and starting your career off at one the of the world’s heaviest waves certainly doesn’t hurt.”
Chachi added: “The locals just have it so dialed. That’s always very apparent. You have the whole World Tour coming down here, taking as much time as they can to figure this place out and calm the nerves. They’re figuring out exactly what waves to catch and which waves to avoid. But the locals…they’re so in tune with this place. It’s crazy to watch it from the lineup and see how well they have everything dialed.”
Ahead of the main event, freak-of-nature talent Eimeo Czermak and skilled-well-beyond-her-years Kelia Mehani Gallina won local wildcard berths into the main event. And no doubt, they’ll put a thorn in the paws of the world’s best.
“The locals shine pretty much every swell down here,” Chachi said, “and the last couple weeks were no exception.”
Keep scrolling for more Teahupo’o scenes, captured by Ryan “Chachi” Craig, in the lead-up to the Outerknown Tahiti Pro 2026.
Related: Teahupo’o ‘Dream Wave’ Swell Detonates With 20ft Perfection (Video)