Tim Bonython might well be one of the most well-traveled surf filmmakers in the world. When there’s a big swell, he’s there, cameras in tow. I last saw him on the beach at Supertubos on one of the best days in anyone’s memory. As we stood there in the rising sun, it was clear to me that Bonython has not lost any spark. He’s been doing it for years, and he’s just as excited as he ever was when the waves are firing. So when he saw the forecast for that giant swell that recently hit Teahupo’o, he knew he had to be there. He booked a flight with Dylan Longbottom and hit the ground running.
“It’s been three years since I chased a swell to Tahiti,” he wrote, “and since this one was rated as one of the biggest storms generating a CODE RED warning, I had to go.”
The video above is the first part of a two-part series documenting the swell that produced ridiculously good waves. Bonython’s got some nice equipment — not just a plain ol’ camera, by any means. For the video above, he used a Red V Raptor camera. It was the first day of the swell, just before those devastating rains hit, causing flash floods and much devastation.
If you can spare a buck or two for the people of Teahupo’o impacted by the floods, donate here.
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