Teahupoo Barrel Mission

It was all about commitment, preparation and timing for Ariihoe Tefaafana as he set about completing his mission to get barreled at one of the world’s most infamous reef breaks…

Words: Ariihoe Tefaafana
Photos: Domenic Mosqueira

At the time of the year these shots were taken it is pretty much the end of the southerly season in Tahiti, and a week before this I’d seen something there that looked like they could be the perfect conditions to get barreled with my foil. I’d been waiting a long time for it – there were a couple of occasions it had shown up previously but there were just too many people in the water, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But luckily, towards the end of the season there are not too many surfers out there, and that morning only two of my friends were in the water. The swell was just as perfect as it can get, and I felt like it was THE day. I’d already gotten barreled before but being able to do it at Teahupoo is just so special. It is not somewhere you go to try or to train… you have to be fully ready when you decide to foil there.

💎 Premium Content Ahead! 💎

This is premium magazine content, usually only available to our subscribers, but you can access it for free when you join our mailing list!
(Already subscribed? Simply enter your email to unlock all magazine features now)

*You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements.

__CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"30800":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"30800"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"30800"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"30800"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"30800"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"30800":{"val":"rgb(59, 136, 253)","hsl":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.1)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.1}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.3)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.3}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.45)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.45}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"30800":{"val":"rgb(59, 136, 253)","hsl":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.1)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.1}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.3)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.3}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.45)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.45}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(59, 136, 253, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":216,"s":0.98,"l":0.61,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__
I have tried to get barreled a few times at my home spot, which looks a little bit like Teahupoo when it gets big, and it’s been a long road to get the right technique to finally be able to pull into barrels on a foil. My tow partner and I have worked really hard to get to this stage – big wipeouts, broken gear on the reef and having my neck twisted – I can tell you it’s been pretty sketchy. It is all about commitment… and perhaps a little bit of craziness. The gear also plays its part too, and it’s important to have the right equipment. In these kind of waves at Teahupoo, I’ll be riding one of the smallest wings in the world made by Lift Foils. 

The power and the hollowness of the wave make everything so complicated. You’re going so fast that if you make a little mistake, it’s all done. That day I got some really good rides and I had so much fun. Getting barreled is definitely a unique feeling, and even more so on a foil. It’s one of the heaviest waves in the world on a shortboard, so you can just imagine how much heavier it feels on a foil. As a surfer who loves getting barreled, that’s been the goal since day one. Getting barreled with a foil might look incredible right now, but things will be moving to the next level and beyond in a couple of years. Of that I’m sure.  

Now subscribe to the world's best foiling magazine!

To get the latest premium features, tests, gear releases and the best photojournalism in the world of foiling, get yourself a print subscription today!

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

 

Related Articles...

Wing Commander: NICK LEASON

Lift Foils has a reputation for producing both high-quality eFoils and foils. CEO & Co-Founder Nick Leason has been front and center of this since day one. We got a little insight into his R&D processes for both sides of the business…

READ MORE

West Coast Hustle

It’s back to Hood River, this time in the company of Generic Foiling Podcast hosts, Liam & Freddie, as they take the show on the road to the annual AWSI event, in the hope of cutting through the hype and getting the warts ‘n’ all take on the foiling industry today.

READ MORE

Back to the Boil

A chance encounter with a little wave that held big potential left sailing nomad Bryan Metcalf-Perez with a lingering foil fever fantasy that he couldn’t get out of his head for a month. And with a passing cyclone leaving plenty of swell lying around – it suddenly became an achievable reality. Words: Bryan Metcalf-Perez Photos:

READ MORE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Foiling Magazine is a premium quality internationally distributed publication, bringing together the very best in written and photojournalism from the world of foiling.

Subscribe Now

©Copyright 2025 TheFoilingMagazine, All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap | Cookie SettingsWebsite by Majik Websites