Lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on the island of Tahiti, lies a village that’s home to one of the world’s most beautiful waves – Teahupo’o. Facing mystical mountains covered in a wild and luxuriant jungle, the perfect wave of Teahupo’o wraps around the reef to create a powerful tube that attracts the best surfers on the planet.

Photographer Tim Mckenna has been documenting this paradise for over 25 years. From Laird Hamilton’s Millennium Wave to WSL competitions, the locals pushing the limits, and the upcoming Olympic Games, he has been a privileged witness to Teahupo’o.

Alongside all the big names in surfing, he has seen the emergence of a generation of local kids who have come to tame this mythical wave. Among them are Tahurai Henry and Gilbert Teave.

Aware of how lucky they are to have grown up in this paradise, they dedicate all their energy and heart to preserving the place and passing on their culture to future generations. They are the guardians of the temple, the heirs of the village. They are the children of Teahupo’o.

Para surfers from across the world met at The Wave in Bristol to compete in the 2024 MuscleFood English Para Surfing Open on 4-5 July. The event saw athletes from around the world competing, coming from as far as Israel and Mongolia. This was the 8th English Para Surfing Open and the 4th time it has been hosted at The Wave.

We were blown away to have over 60 volunteers and staff come together, all contributing towards the successful running of the contest. With a big focus on the development of the sport, the two days were packed with training for volunteers and running a roadshow stop for new surfers.

The contest featured 6 ISA Divisions and 4 Open divisions for surfers without classifications. At Surfing England, we have high aspirations for Team England Para and are excited about the talent within it. We aim to continue developing both current and new athletes. While Para Surfing did not make it into the 2028 LA Paralympics, the contest was a success in advancing the competitive development of our para-athletes. The athletes showed how they can light up the world stage.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES

The contest kicked off on Thursday with strong gusting winds, but this did not deter our surfers from throwing down some huge scores on day one. The lake was firmly alive with a display of exceptional surfing, and array of manoeuvrers on the waves. The seasoned Team England para athletes put on a real show, showcasing to the Open and Roadshow surfers the phenomenal standards to make squad.

The event welcomed many surfers to the lake for the first time. Nerves were electric as the contest was on the advanced setting, but some of these athletes clearly are naturals and got to grips rapid. Standout competitor, James Price, surfing in the OPEN Prone division, scored a massive single wave score of 8.23!

The rain cleared in time for the contest to begin at 10am Friday morning. We witnessed some world-class scores being awarded throughout the day. Some standout performances include Team England Para team member Melissa Reid, scoring a 9.17 ride in her Friday heat in the ISA Visual Impairment division. Surfer Zoe Smith scored a massive 9-point ride in her ISA Stand 2 division. Mark Hagger, in the ISA Prone Division, was cheered on by the crowd as he was awarded another excellent score of 8.5.

Although the athletes are competing and of course want the winning titles, you can see how tightly knit this surfing community is. It was incredible to see some of our more experienced athletes getting into the water to coach other athletes. It was a true reflection of the bond these surfers have with one another, and not something you often witness in other professional sports.

Contest Commentator Sam Bleakley rounded up the contest perfectly “The performances have been through the roof. So many excellent range scores. So much fantastic wave riding. Big standouts have been the likes of Melissa Reid, Zoe Smith and Stephen Downes from Newquay, who blew us away with his control, his commitment and his style. But the bigger picture has been the Para surfing community with the way everyone has worked together to not only offer that positive force of surfing as therapy but also that platform for the athletic side of Para surfing. That is why we have so many medallists here in the UK community. We look forward to moving ahead with our amazing adaptive community.”

Father and son, Michael and Mason Ho go for a surf at a place where uncle Mike’s been taking Mason surfing since he was a kid. Ala Moana is also a spot where uncle Mike also surfed as a kid. Ala Moana is roots.

Surfers: Michael, Mason Ho and friends.

After a banging main event earlier this year in epic conditions, Volcom is back with its contest series for the youth, combining a PanEuropean digital qualifier (July 1^st – August 31^st 2024), and a main event with a 4000€ prize purse this Winter in Sagres in February (location and date TBC).

The series are open to European surfers (women & men) 16 years old and under when qualifiers resume (born after August 31st 2007).

Qualifier registration form and competition info: https://vol.cm/surfhappening24-25

The qualifying process, making it easy for surfers to enter, will once again showcase top action from this summer, and will decide the main event competitors.

QUALIFIER

How to Enter:

• Fill the registration form.
• Submit your best wave and best maneuver of the summer through an Instagram post.
• Include the date the wave was surfed, the location, and contest tags: #VolcomSurfHappening & @volcomhappening
• The wave must be filmed in Europe during this summer.
• Competitors can submit as many posts as they want.
• Submission period: July 1st 2024 to August 31st 2024

Requirements:

Competitors must be born after August 31st 2007.
A parent or guardian must sign up online for competitors, accepting the rules and conditions.

Judging:

All entries will be judged after the submission deadline in September 2024.
The top 20 women and top 20 men will qualify for the main event, plus an alternate list.

SurfAid and Rip Curl are excited to announce the launch of the fourth annual Make A Wave challenge. Surfers worldwide are encouraged to surf every day in September to raise funds for SurfAid’s vital programs, improving access to healthcare, clean water, and food security in remote surf communities.

Since its inception in 2021, Make A Wave has united surfers from 28 countries, raising close to $2 million for SurfAid. This remarkable effort has allowed SurfAid to positively impact tens of thousands of people in Indonesian and Pacific island communities such as the Mentawai islands, where access to basic services is limited.

Rip Curl continues to be a driving force behind this initiative, championing the challenge with their commitment to exploring and protecting the remote surf locations cherished by surfers. Notable Rip Curl team athletes participating this year include Owen Wright, Erin Brooks, and Rosy Hodge.

Reflecting on his previous experience, Make A Wave Ambassador Owen Wright said: “Participating in the Make A Wave challenge was an incredible experience. Knowing that each wave I caught helped families gain access to the things we take for granted like clean water made every session even more meaningful. I can’t wait to do it again this September.”

Participants in the Make A Wave challenge will receive fundraising tips, coaching, and opportunities to share their daily surf adventures on social media with the hashtag #MakeAWave. By sharing their journeys, surfers will become part of a global community dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the places they love to surf.

This year, Freely Travel Insurance joins the movement as a Community Partner, offering tangible encouragement to Australian participants. Freely’s partner the Z Zurich Foundation has committed up to $100,000 to match the first $100 raised by Australian participants and Make A Wave ambassadors, while Freely will reward these surfers with an exclusive Make A Wave x Freely rashie.

SurfAid CEO Doug Lees expressed his excitement about this year’s challenge: “Make A Wave harnesses the transformative power of surfing to support those who need it most. With the unwavering dedication of our global surfing community, we’re set to achieve an even greater impact. Together, we can ensure that families in remote surf communities have access to essential services like healthcare, nutritious food, and clean water.”

Surfers of all ages and skill levels are invited to join the Make A Wave challenge, whether individually or as part of a team with friends, family, schoolmates, colleagues, surf clubs, surf schools, or boardriding clubs. Participants will also have the chance to win prizes from top surf and adventure brands, including Rip Curl, Boost Mobile, YETI, Creatures of Leisure, Perfect Wave Travel, Dylan Shapes, Spooked Kooks, URBNSURF and GoPro.

Sign up now at makeawave.co and challenge yourself to surf every day in September. Together, we can create a wave of impact for families in the heartlands of surfing.