In memory of House Toledo (7/28 – 7/29).

"I look back and it wasn't a perfect forecast by any means ..."

The official forecast for the Teahupo’o Olympics, delivered by Surfline, was for unexceptional surf during the entire waiting period. Contestable, sure, but not epic. Then Monday. Head Place came to absolute roaring life, nearly drowning Western Australian hell charger Jack Robinson and deposing recent King of Teahupo’o Filipe Toledo 16 hours after his grand coronation.

Stab Magazine called it “the day that will outlive us all” and Surfer Magazine declared it “Wow bingo bongo. Waves made giant tubulars for to surfers rip the corn hole!”

Surfline clearly whiffing on the call.

Speaking to Reuters, head forecaster Kevin Wallis explained, “I look back and it wasn’t a perfect forecast by any means … but, yeah, under promise, over deliver. That’s always a good rule of thumb in forecasting.”

That’s Surfline’s rule of thumb when it comes to World Surf League forecasts?

Under promise, over deliver?

Well color me code red.

Wallis also opened up about “the toughest job at Teahupo’o” which is forecasting, saying, “My popularity it wanes with how good the waves actually look. But, yeah, everyone’s obviously interested in what the waves were doing over the next few days.”

Everyone except House Toledo (7/28 – 7/29).

Frowny face emoji.

"You know it's going great when you've been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes."

Olympic shortboard surfing has been called off for two days in a row, now, though Teahupo’o’s reputation as “the most dangerous place in the world” has only been burnished during that time. Coverage of the Tahitian mutant has been breathless, in the mainstream media, with descriptors such as “treacherous” being applied. Surfline, typically reserved, has even partaken in horror talk vis a vis “The End of the Road” characterizing it a “uniquely intense surf zone” and “freakish.”

Well deserved and especially in light of NBC correspondent Colin Jost stubbing his toes on the very scary reef and requiring medical attention.

The Saturday Night Live funnyman took to Instagram in order to declare, “I did pretty well until the first wave, and then I ended up standing on the coral reef. Much like the coral reef safety expert, but without coral shoes on. So I got a little scraped up.”

Extremely graphic images shared.

The injury developed an infection, as reef scrapes often do, and surf fans were immediately reminded of former World Surf League CEO Erik Logan who suffered life-threatening scratches gifted from the same nightmare shoal nearly two years ago.

While Logan cried like a baby as WSL deputy commissioner Renato Hickel squirted lime juice on the affected area, Jost seems to be taking his dance with death in comedic stride, informing his audience, “You know it’s going great when you’ve been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes.”

No word how many times King of Teahupo’o Filipe Toledo (7/28 – 7/29) dawned the aforementioned medical tent’s flap.

The threat to life and limb and digit possibly scaring away those watching at home and dreaming of potentially wrangling a Head Place barrel for themselves.

When competition resumes, the men will be in their quarterfinal round while the women will enter round 3. The Shortboard Surfing waiting period ends in four more days.

I’m sticking with my original prediction of a Joao Chianca gold and Carissa Moore backing up her Tokyo bauble with a Parisien one.

Who you got?