Billabong Pro Teahupoo

Billabong Pro Teahupoo is a professional surfing competition of the ASP World Tour held at the break Teahupo'o in Taiarapu, Tahiti. The Billabong Pro Teahupoo was first founded in 1999, and ever since has been recognized as "one of the world's heaviest big wave competitions". This is because Teahupoo is the only known natural wave break in the world that breaks below sea level. It is also "renowned for being the deadliest competition associated with surfing to this present date". The Billabong Pro Teahupoo has not claimed any human lives since the founding of the surfing event in 1999, but the wave has claimed lives over the years.

The surfing event takes place in Teahupo’o, a village on the south-west coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean. Teahupo'o is a reef break. The swells that hit the reef mainly break left, but the outer reef also creates right breaks that surfers must be cautious of when paddling out. Therefore, Teahupo'o is also "renowned for the consistent number of barrels it delivers". It is a rewarding location and is widely regarded as being on the 'must-surf' list of every enthusiastic surfer. However, "only experienced surfers in peak physical condition should attempt Teahupo'o". The breaks heavy waves combined with a shallow shoreline can result in serious injuries and even death in a wipeout.

The Billabong Pro Teahupo'o's reputation for wave riding is partly due to its unique form. An extremely shallow coral reef which ranges up to 20 inches beneath the waters surface is responsible for a very hollow-breaking wave. The wave's unique shape, with an effect of almost breaking below sea level, is due to the specific shape of the reef beneath the wave. Its semi circular nature which drops down sharply creates a 'below water' effect and the extreme angles in descent create an instant instability to the wave. A steep wall of reef causes the entire mass to fold onto a scalloped semi circle breaking arc. The wave bends and races along into a dry reef closeout and the lip of the wave is often as thick as it is tall. Therefore, resulting in the "Billabong Pro Teahupo’o being one of the deadliest big wave competitions in the world to this present date".

The ASP Billabong Pro Teahupo’o is dissected into four parts and is based an elimination process. The first is composed of the competitive heats. The second is composed of the Quarter Finals. The third is composed of the Semi Finals. And the fourth and last part of the competition composes of the Finals. Once this process of the Billabong Pro Teahupoo competition is completed, then a Billabong Pro Teahupoo Champion is named.

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Wikipedia