Gilbert Teave
Gilbert Teave, Future Prince of Teahupo’o
"When you launch yourself onto this wave, you feel what the Tahitians call Mana, the force.”"
Gilbert Teave is a veritable hive of activity. It comes from dreams formulated from excitement, hope and the certainty that they will come true. At this stage of his life, Gilbert is right there, at a crossroads where everything is possible. And at 16 years old, he has the right to believe, because it has the means to do so.
Most of the time, Teahupo’o doze, but sometimes it rumbles as if in anticipation of an explosion. These mornings, Gilbert is one of the first to take to the water. “I’m a son of Teahupo’o. I grew up in Punaauia, but I came here at ten years old because my parents had family land.” He lives with them now, within the walls of a small house located at the end of the road, where the land stops to flow into the Pacific Ocean, where the 4x4s can be found on days when the swell is up. “Growing up, I was never far from a surf spot. Even when I lived in Punaauia, I surfed at Sapinus. When it’s huge, it can reach the same size as Teahupo’o, it moves the same.” Gilbert caught his first wave there, to the west of the island, on a bodyboard. He remembers a little wave that used to break on the sand. “I used to see other people getting up, so I thought, ‘Why not try?’ I knew an uncle who sold surfboards and my parents bought me my first one from him. I was six or seven. I surfed the near-shore waves to learn how to get a good line. After that, we moved to Teahupo’o and that’s where I began to surf offshore. I went to the reef and launched.”
Teahupo’o. Only those who have seen it come up can comprehend its indomitability. Yet surfers such as Gilbert have always tried to tame it, humbly, of course. “It’s always important to respect the Teahupo’o wave because it’s so dangerous. Just before catching the wave, everyone is paddling, but all of a sudden, it’s only you and it. You’re not thinking of anything, only getting your take off and ride right. When you launch yourself onto this wave, you feel what the Tahitians call Mana, the force, particularly when the wave is huge. I am conscious of the fact that it could all end at any moment. A terrible accident could be just around the corner, but I stay positive, I enjoy it and surf by feel. Every time it's big, I see my friends pushing their limits and that really motivates me to do the same.”
His friends are his idols. He mentions Matahi Drollet, the prodigy, the king without a crown. “He inspires me so much as a free surfer. He manages to make a living in free surfing without having to work on the side. I’d like to do the same one day; to spend my days in the water surfing among friends. I would like to remain in Teahupo’o but be able to travel around, to Hawaii and to France also. I’d like to go wherever the most beautiful waves in the world are. I’d also like to be able to help my parents.” And here’s where we grasp the reason for his self-sacrifice. In the water, as in life, Gilbert follows trajectories with a smile, but he follows them resolutely. “One year, I sold coconuts at the end of the road to make money. I used to look for them in the area beyond Teahupo’o, where it gets mystical. Then I would set up at the end of the road, where I knew people liked to buy coconuts. I just wanted to go surfing in Hawaii but that wasn’t to be. I hope to be able to go this year.”
For Tahurai Henry, Gilbert is the next generation. He speaks of him with a measure of affection and emotion befitting a spiritual older brother. “It was my duty to be here. Gilbert is destined to be the next prince of Teahupo’o.” To be a waterman, means having the skills on the water... having not only the desire but also the awareness of and a respect for your environment. And on the water, they say Gilbert has the attitude. “I’m happy that Tahurai has confidence in me, that pushes me even more. Tereva David coaches me, he helps me a lot also. It’s nice to have people who believe in me, it strengthens my will to make this my career. I feel the pressure a little bit, but I can’t wait to become known.”
And Gilbert finishes like this, with his dreams laid out in wide-screen, ambition coursing through his body, commitment streaming from his eyes and armed with a determination that feels contagious. Known… we want to tell him that he already is, that we’re watching him evolve, that there are already so many who believe in him, and that he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the next prince of Teahupo’o.
