It’s exceedingly rare to get any wave to yourself, let alone one of the most famous breaks in the world. But that’s exactly what happened to Italian CT surfer Leonardo Fioravanti in his latest video.
“Teahupo’o is one of the best waves in the world and I was lucky enough to surf it for more than two hours ALONE,” wrote Fioravanti in his description for the video posted to his YouTube channel. “Moments like this only happen a few times in your life and I could feel something special was happening. Definitely a session I’ll remember for the rest of my life!”
The session also provided some crucial training for Fioravanti’s upcoming appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympiad, which will also take place at Teahupo’o. The 25-year-old Roman qualified back in July, via his ranking on the Championship Tour. However, while the event will be his second appearance in the games (he previously represented Italy in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and finished in ninth place), Chopes will be a completely different ballgame from surfing’s first appearance on the world’s most prominent international athletic stage.
As to how he actually managed to get the behemoth to himself, if only for a few hours – Fioravanti claims that it was just luck. When a YouTube commenter asked if there was a reason for the empty lineup, he replied, “Honestly, no. Just right place, right time.”
