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Manoa Drollet rides into history books
by Christel Dupiellet
04/08/2006:// Gold Coast, Queensland (Insert Date Here): 28-YEAR-OLD Tahitian Manoa Drollet has ridden what is being dubbed the biggest wave ever to be surfed at the death defying break of Teahupoo.
Drollet joined Billabong Adventure Division surfers Shane Dorian (Haw), Dylan Longbottom (Coolangatta) and 19-year-old Laurie Towner on July 28th during the largest swell to bombard the Pacific Island in over 12 months.
A renowned Teahupoo charger, Drollet has set the benchmark for tow-in surfing at the worlds heaviest break, riding a mountainous wave two years ago which was originally claimed to be the largest ever ridden.
The latest 10m giant is believed to be bigger and any mistake could be likened to having a five-story building land on your head.
“When I took off on that wave I was pretty worried because Peter Mel was on the inside trying to pick up Mark Healy who wiped out on the wave before,” said Drollet. “I was thinking that the wake of the Jetski was going to make it bad for me.”
“Once I bottom turned, he got out of the way and I was just trying to make it to the shoulder,” he said. “I was happy to have caught a big one.”
“I haven’t seen all the shots and it’s hard to tell because when you are on it, you just want to make the wave,” said Drollet. “I want to see the pictures, and then I’ll judge from there, but I’d be stoked if it is the biggest one ever at Teahupoo.”
The natural footer was put in poll position for the mammoth ride late in the afternoon with the help of experienced PWC (Personal Water Craft) tow partner Dorian.
Surfers require PWC assistance to catch the waves, which break with freight train speed across razor sharp coral reef, making traditional paddle surfing impossible.
“When you have got guys like Shane Dorian in the water it makes you feel more secure because they really know what they are doing and what is going on,” said Drollet.
“I compare it to driving fast in a car through a corner and making it around,” joked the quietly spoken Tahitian. “When you have got your thoughts together and you are going good, then you feel great.”
Gold Coast surfer Longbottom witnessed Drollet’s monster wave in 2004 during his first tow session at the break and testifies to the record breaker.
“It’s definitely one of the biggest waves I have seen at Teahupoo,” said Longbottom. “It’s always hard out there to measure the difference in the waves because of the shape but that one was just easy the biggest of the day, it was crazy.”
A former XXL Monster Tube Ride award winner, 32-year-old Longbottom has ridden colossal swells across the globe, including Australia’s heaviest wave Shipsterns Bluff in Tasmania, but said nothing compares to the sheer force of Teahupoo.
“It’s pretty hard to put into words, it was really scary and so special to be back there and doing it again,” he said. “I’m grateful to be alive because I had some heavy wipe-outs.”
“It just try’s to rip your arms and your legs off, it’s heavier than Shipsterns and all those kind of waves,” said Longbottom. “Like Shane Dorian said, it’s the heaviest wave in the world and we were blessed to survive it.”
Longbottom is an integral part of the Billabong Adventure Division team spearheaded by Gold Coast free surfer Brendan Margieson.
The project aims to find and surf uncharted breaks around the globe, using PWC assistance, traditional paddle in and long-range swell forecasts. When a monumental swell lands at any break around the world, you can guarantee Longbottom, Dorian and Drollet are likely to be just around the corner.
Junior surfer Towner also joined the Aussie contingent for the Tahitian tow in session. In an initiation by fire, Towner was also charged with the responsibility of driving the ski and putting Longbottom in the perfect position to catch the waves, something he had never done before.
“It was pretty intimidating being out there and towing with those guys, I was more or less the last in line for a wave,” said Towner. “It the first time I had ever used a Jetski and I had to tow Dylan into some big ones, it was the scariest thing I have ever done.”
The lanky natural footer from the NSW North Coast currently leads the ASP Australasian Junior Series and has forged a solid reputation as Australia’s next big thing.
Paddling in to a terrifying tube at Shipsterns Bluff Tasmania in March, which earned him a nomination for a Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award, Towner rates the Teahupoo swell as his heaviest to date.
“It was pretty amazing, it’s one of the craziest waves I have ever seen in my life,” said Towner. “It was an awesome experience to see some of the evil things that break out there.”
“Sitting out behind the wave is pretty scary, you just wait out the back for your turn and you don’t know how big it is going to be,” said Towner. “I saw another big wave that Manoa got during that session and it was the biggest wave I have ever seen ridden.”
The next mission for the Adventure Division is a recently discovered right-hander in the Southern Ocean, expected to fire over the next two months.
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