“Give respect, get respect” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in surfing. So much so that it’s possibly lost all meaning to some who profess it because, well, surfers aren’t always the most compassionate group when it comes to outsiders. And if there’s one lineup in the world that knows a thing or two about managing high stakes in a crowd of outsiders, it’s the one at Teahupo’o.
The adage has a unique twist at the End of the Road. When some of the Tahitian regulars realized visiting surfers were often showing up and running the show, they didn’t take on an entitled enforcer’s approach. They instead decided it was time to raise the bar and charge the place a little harder themselves. What’s resulted is an overall higher standard of surfing for everybody involved and, according to some of the locals themselves, all without forfeiting good vibes.
