"He's Luke Skywalker!"
It seems like an eternity ago but, in truth, the Paris Olympics were held just last summer in the gorgeous City of Lights. But who could forget the dramatic swimming races, breakdancing battles, drag queen brouhahas and, of course, that Place of Skulls. Teahupo’o is, as you know, halfway around the world from Europe though is still a French territory and, thus, hosted the Olympic surfing discipline.
The non-surfing public tuned in, as they do pentathlon and artistic swimming and fell head-over-heels in love with the flyaway air.
The viral image of Gabriel Medina kicking out of a heaving slab and pointing one finger to the heavens had every Jan and Dean gasping for air, sending to their Facebook friend groups, shaking heads in disbelief.
Now, the flyaway is not so highly regarded amongst the surfing public. Jérôme Brouillet, who took the photo and has called Tahiti home for the past li’l while declared, “So he [Medina] is at the back of the wave and I can’t see him and then he pops up and I took four pictures and one of them was this one. It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave. It’s very cool, it’s a nice shot and lots of people love it. It’s not really a surf photograph so it captures the attention of more people.”
Well, one year on yet another “not really a surf photograph” has grabbed and held. Marco Mignot, this time, ejecting and leading The Guardian’s coverage of the Tahiti Pro.
See above.
Other images in the feature include Crosby Colapinto getting tubed, Griffin Colapinto paddling, Kauli Vaast getting tubed and Jack Robinson breathing but none yet Mignot soaring sans board were more feted.
“He’s Luke Skywalker,” a gushing non-surfer penned.
“The best trick,” another added.
Do you have thoughts on the rise of the flyaway?