Teahup’o, a.k.a Cho-po, a.k.a Chopes is maybe the most famous, and certainly the most challenging wave on the planet. It can be found off the island of Tahiti, off the southern coast of French Polynesia.

In August, Cho-po reaches its most monsterous, with crushingly large waves breaking onto razor sharp coral reef just below the surface, meaning falling off is not an option. In fact, it was on 17^th August 2000 that pro surfer Laird Hamilton took on Teahupo’o which, to this day, is credited as being the ‘heaviest wave’ ever ridden.

Chopes is one of the deadliest waves on the planet, having killed five people since 2000 alone. Even it’s name is terrifying. ‘Teahupo’o’ translates into English as ‘place of skulls’. Gnarly.