Kauli Vaast, 12, Surfs The World's Heaviest Wave Like It's No Big Deal (VIDEO)
Awkward middle school dances and soccer practice? Not for this 12 year old.
Kauli Vaast's after-school activities consist of world traveling and charging massive waves that would make grown men cower. The legendary grom from Tahiti has been winning surf competitions around the world since he was eight years old and, by the looks of it, he's getting exponentially better -- or should we say, going exponentially bigger. For his latest feat, he challenged the fearsome Teahupoo.
To put Kauli's insane talents and courage into perspective, here's what you need to know about Teahupoo:
- Fixed on the southwest tip of Tahiti, it is also known as The Heaviest Wave In The World due to its unbelievably thick, bone-crushing crest (also known as the lip of the wave).
- That behemoth wave also soars above insanely shallow water -- we're talking only a couple of feet deep -- and a deathly jagged reef.
- Since 2000, the wave has claimed five lives.
- Teahupoo is so powerful, it has been known to make veteran big wave surfers like Laird Hamilton very, very nervous.
And, just in case you were curious, here's a clip of the damage Teahupoo can do:
