Pro Surfers Pronounce Teahupo’o Wrong (Video)

In 1963, amidst the Cold War and post-WWII partition of Berlin, JFk made a speech:

“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum [‘I am a Roman citizen’]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’”

Although dubious, the phrase “Berliner” was later said to mean “jelly doughnut,” ensuing amusement at Kennedy’s attempt at support and unification.

Regardless if JFK inadvertently pronounced himself a tasty treat, pronunciation is key.

So, what about Teahupo’o?

Turns out, the way most surfers pronounce it – cho-poo – might mean something entirely different than the famed lefthand barreling reefbreak, home to one of the heaviest stops on the Championship Tour, and host venue for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In the clip above, Tahiti’s own Vahine Fierro says:

“It’s the question I get asked the most.

“It’s pronounced tay·uh·hoo·pow·ow, because if you say cho-poo, it means soup. Like the soup you eat.”

From SurferToday, here’s a breakdown of what the name means:

“te (Tahitian/Polynesian) = the (English);

“ahu (Tahitian/Polynesian) = pile, central stone, raised platform, mound, altar, heap (English);

“po'o (Tahitian/Polynesian) = head, front end, director, father (English)

“The local language says it all.

‘When we blend the Polynesian word Teahupo'o together, we get its meaning: the pile of heads, the heap of heads, or the hot head.

“Supposedly, it honors the son of a murdered king, who avenged his father's death by eating and drinking the fresh brain of his father's murderer.”

Heavy. Pretty friggin’ metal, actually. Severed heads, vengeance, eating brains.

But when in doubt, just say “Chopes.”

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