There must be healing powers in Tahitian waters. On February 14, Eimeo Czermak was lifted off the beach at Pipeline on a c-spine after he broke a vertebrae in his back. On May 8, three months after the wipeout, he paddled into one of his heaviest waves to date at a place, which is saying something considering his resume here.
But after not seeing big Teahupo’o for six months, Eimeo put his head down and pushed his 6’3” over the edge of oblivion. He had to get back into rhythm at one of the deadliest waves on the planet and take his lickings before diving into the main course. And wow, this was a feast.
To pack a wave that sends the channel into uproar is not something you see often. The guts required to push oneself over the ledge, let alone have the technical chops to pull it off, is a remarkable accomplishment.
When the initial clip was released on Instagram, it raked in praise from surfing greats. A “psycho” from Jamie O’Brien, a “so tapped” from Ian Walsh and an “unbelievable” from Julian Wilson. As Mason Ho put it, “The FKN MERMAN so heavy.”
“I’m sorry for the bad words, guys, but that was fucking huge,” Tahitian legend Tikanui Smith said apon witnessing Eimeo’s disappearing act.. “One of the biggest paddling (waves) ever, for sure.”
Hard to say exactly how big, but packing a wide-open wave that’s in the 12-foot range with your bare hands puts you in rare company. There’s a heap of insane rides that have gone down on this reef over the years. Cory Lopez, Andy Irons, John John Florence and Kelly Slater, just to name a few. Then there are the mutants that require a motor for entry. See: Kauli Vaast, Koa Rothman, Nathan Fletcher, and Laird Hamilton.
Related: Behind the Photo: Andy Irons’ “Most Memorable” Wave of His Career