Teahupoo Tahiti — Kaua‘i surfer Reef Macintosh and his tow-surfing partner Raimana Van Bastoloer of Tahiti averted serous injury and perhaps death when the Macintosh got caught on a jet ski in front of a raging Teahupoo beast. In full
Teahupoo Tahiti — Kaua‘i surfer Reef Macintosh and his tow-surfing partner Raimana Van Bastoloer of Tahiti averted serous injury and perhaps death when the Macintosh got caught on a jet ski in front of a raging Teahupoo beast.
In full view of the world’s elite yesterday including fellow Kauaians Andy and Bruce Irons, younger brother Bruce, big wave charger Shane Dorian (Haw) and the surfing paparazzi, North shore native Macintosh and Bastoloer nearly collided in the worst place possible.
As the Van Bastoloer, the local goofy footer, was towed into a 12-foot morning set, his jet ski driver Macintosh was caught in the wave lip and unable to pull out, careering the ski directly over the pitching lip and into the path of Van Bastoloer. Pulling into the massive barreling wave, Van Bastoloer ducked at the last second, the abandoned jet ski narrowly missing his head and spearing straight into the shallow reef.
“I saw a black thing out of the side of my eye, I just ducked my head and then I don’t know what happened,” said Van Bastoloer in his broken English. “I saw this thing going and I was like, where is the guy driving on it, then I saw Reef trying to come up and we lost the ski. Good thing I never lost my friend and myself, so it’s O.K.”
Van Bastoloer, who is renowned for charging some of the biggest waves ridden at Teahupoo, has had is share of close encounters but rates today as the nearest he has been to facing death. Despite the miraculous escape from a certain death, Van Bastoloer continued to charge the line-up as the swell built throughout the day to be bordering on unbelievable by sunset.
“It is the heaviest by far, what happened today was the first time and hopefully the last time,” he added. “No hard feelings, you can still replace a jet ski, but you cannot replace your body.”
The reigning world champ, Irons was sitting in the channel nearby after witnessing the morning session from the relative safety of a nearby boat. After arriving in Teahupoo late last night, the champ had never towed at the infamous lefthander before and the jet ski incident did little to dent his confidence, going wave for wave with the tight tow pack.
“That was the heaviest thing I have ever seen,” said Irons of the near-accident. “My really good friend Reef was actually driving the ski and he jumped off, almost went over the falls and the ski went over Raimana’s head.
“He got barreled by his own ski,” Irons added. “It missed his head by about six inches; it was psycho.”
Irons said even with the scary scene, he had a blast gearing up for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, scheduled to begin later this week.
“It was crazy, that was the first time I have ever towed out there and it was an amazing experience,” said Irons. “The waves weren’t ideally perfect: it was a little bumpy, but when they came through they were just so thick and heavy it was awesome.”
Billabong Pro wildcard Tahitian Manoa Drollet picked off the day’s bomb wave which many locals claimed was as big as any ever ridden at Teahupoo before. The Tahitian trials champion enjoyed some heart stopping moments towing in with Irons. The pair will now face each in the same arena in their opening heat of this year’s competition.
“I’m definitely feeling like all the jitters have gone,” said Irons, who was spotted surfing in Hanalei just Friday. “I’ve got Manoa in my heat and he is the hardest guy in the whole contest.
“If I get past him I definitely feel like I can get on a roll,” Irons added. “I am looking forward to the start of the event.”
