There are a handful of waves in the surfing world that, when they were first revealed to the world, marked a sort of Before and After on surfing's historical timeline: G-Land, Maverick's, and certainly the mutant left Tahitian reef called Teahupo'o.
Teahupo'o was first discovered in the 1960s, but was considered more or less an impossibly hollow wave for the equipment of the time. In the 1980s, local Tahitian bodyboarders, as well as visiting Hawaiians like Mike Stewart and others began kicking into the backless caverns, pushing the outermost limits of what were once considered rideable of waves.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, locals like Vetea "Poto" David, Raimana Van Bastolaer, and Manoa Drollet, along with heavies like Hawaiians Johnny Boy Gomes, Brazilians like Pato Texeira, Californian Strider Wasilewski, and others began paddling and towing Teahupo'o at all sizes.
Andy Irons won the first pro event at Teahupo'o, which became one of the most famous surf contests in history. - WSL / Ellis
While the wave began to take up more than a healthy share of space in surf magazines and videos, it still remained somewhat of a novelty in the collective consciousness, a niche wave ridden by unhinged specialists.
But in 1997, Michael Tompson, the founder of Gotcha and one of the 1970s Bustin' Down the Door Generation, saw the potential for an international event in real waves of consequence, and brought forth the Gotcha Pro.
Winning the event, the first Gotcha Pro helped jumpstart the career and international profile of a 19-year-old Kauaian named Andy Irons. The addition of Teahupo'o to the World Championship Tour would usher in a new era of competitive surfing, which insisted surfers be the best in the world in all conditions, from two to twenty feet, in beach breaks, reefs, points, and even mutant slabs like Teahupo'o.
Learn more about Teahupo'o here.
Head to the International Surfing Association (ISA) for more information on surfing in the Olympics.