During the recent XXL swell at Teahupo’o, rather than wait out the back and tow the bombs with 20 other teams, a small crew including Nate Florence, his brother Ivan, and Koa Rothman, opted instead to paddle the scraps.
By scraps, we mean marginally rideable 8-to 10-foot slabs.
Paddling big Chopes is a wild experience. And it’s made 10x more intense when you have to dodge tow sets and jet-skis in-between waves, which is exactly what Florence and crew did during the last swell. It’s like a game of a cat and mouse, but with very real consequences. Getting caught inside by a tow set would spell disaster. Can you imagine trying to swim under one of those 15-foot waves, with only a few feet of water between you and the reef?
Luckily, Florence and his friends made it out unscathed, and paddled into some of the best waves of the swell. Click inside for a taste of Chopes from Nate Florence’s POV. It’s raw and real and is sure to get your heart racing — even from behind the safety of your screen.
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