World No. 3 surfer Griffin Colapinto has described a terrifying moment at Teahupo’o as the “worst wipeout of my life” during warmup sessions ahead of the 2025 Lexus Tahiti Pro.
The event itself was stacked with drama and world-class performances, but before competition began, a massive swell unloaded on the infamous Tahitian reef break. Several Championship Tour surfers paddled and towed into monstrous waves, including Colapinto, who would later finish runner-up to Jack Robinson in the contest and secure his place in the WSL Finals.
Colapinto recalled how it unfolded:
> “That day was huge. There were tow waves all over the place, but still some paddle opportunities. I dropped one, made it through, came up, then felt the whole channel start pulling out. I knew something was coming.”
At that moment, fellow surfer Eli Olson was towing into a bomb. Colapinto ditched his board but kept the leash attached to avoid endangering Olson. He managed one deep breath before being sucked back and spun violently in the impact zone.
> “Total washing machine. You have to accept that it’s happening,” he said.
Despite the heavy wipeout, Colapinto also scored one of the best waves of his career, calling it the “best barrel of my life.”
The highs and lows at Teahupo’o set the stage for the WSL Finals in Fiji (August 27 – September 4), where Colapinto enters ranked third in the world and chasing a maiden world title.