"The view I had right here was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life," says surfer Koa Rothman of this moment in Teahupoo, French Polynesia. The photo won the Billabong XXL Tube Award. "Watching the lip land next to you, feeling the wave bend back behind you, seeing the boats in the channel go over the wave—being in the middle of all that energy is unexplainable," says the Hawaiian surfer, who
started riding waves at age two with his father on Oahu's North Shore.
Rothman wiped out on this wave. "When I fell, I was sliding on my back for what felt like forever. The water felt like concrete when I hit it. Then this giant lip was landing next to my head, and I thought I was going to die. But as soon as it finally sucked me over, it was like a huge giant picked me up and shook me as hard as he could for 40 seconds under water, then let me up.
"It wasn't hard for me to get back into surfing big waves after that wipeout," Rothman reflects. "It just makes me really respect these waves and the people that surf them, because these waves could easily kill you."
Getting the Shot
“I knew it would be one of the biggest waves I have ever photographed—period,” says photographer Tim McKenna. “The conditions where similar to other big days at the break, apart from the fact that the lineup was very crowded with surfers and Jet Skis.” McKenna has photographed Teahupoo since 1996, and this wave was the largest he had photographed since Nathan Fletcher's big ride in 2011.
Equipped for the day, McKenna was ready for the giant swell. “It is important to be with a good boat captain who knows the break very well. I make sure all my main gear is protected in a waterproof case—you must be ready to jump on a Jet Ski or in the water if anything goes wrong.”
After McKenna reviewed his photos later in the evening, he shared the shot with Rothman. “I talked to Koa in the evening," he recalls. "He is a very mellow and humble surfer. He didn’t seem too phased about his ride, although the wipeout sure was violent. I think the surfers relive their rides differently once they see the view from the channel. I don’t think they realize how big the wave is behind them during the actual ride.”
McKenna photographed with Nikon bodies and lenses, including a 70-200mm f/2.8, a 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 14-24mm f/2.8.
started riding waves at age two with his father on Oahu's North Shore.
Rothman wiped out on this wave. "When I fell, I was sliding on my back for what felt like forever. The water felt like concrete when I hit it. Then this giant lip was landing next to my head, and I thought I was going to die. But as soon as it finally sucked me over, it was like a huge giant picked me up and shook me as hard as he could for 40 seconds under water, then let me up.
"It wasn't hard for me to get back into surfing big waves after that wipeout," Rothman reflects. "It just makes me really respect these waves and the people that surf them, because these waves could easily kill you."
Getting the Shot
“I knew it would be one of the biggest waves I have ever photographed—period,” says photographer Tim McKenna. “The conditions where similar to other big days at the break, apart from the fact that the lineup was very crowded with surfers and Jet Skis.” McKenna has photographed Teahupoo since 1996, and this wave was the largest he had photographed since Nathan Fletcher's big ride in 2011.
Equipped for the day, McKenna was ready for the giant swell. “It is important to be with a good boat captain who knows the break very well. I make sure all my main gear is protected in a waterproof case—you must be ready to jump on a Jet Ski or in the water if anything goes wrong.”
After McKenna reviewed his photos later in the evening, he shared the shot with Rothman. “I talked to Koa in the evening," he recalls. "He is a very mellow and humble surfer. He didn’t seem too phased about his ride, although the wipeout sure was violent. I think the surfers relive their rides differently once they see the view from the channel. I don’t think they realize how big the wave is behind them during the actual ride.”
McKenna photographed with Nikon bodies and lenses, including a 70-200mm f/2.8, a 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 14-24mm f/2.8.
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