‘Real Life Videogame’: Insane POV Angle at Teahupo’o (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 4:54 PM ET

I’ve been reading some sci-fi novels lately. Books about dystopian – or utopian, depending on your point of view – futures, in which virtual reality replaces the real world, and characters embark on computer-generated simulations of the human experience.

When I saw the framegrab from the video below, that’s what came to mind. In the future, will virtual surfing become a thing? It probably already is, to be fair, with VR headsets still on the rise, but I’ve never had the honor of strapping into one...yet

Anyway, whatever the future may hold, the world of action sports cameras continues to evolve, granting viewers unprecedented looks inside the world’s craziest scenarios. For example, 99.99% of surfers can’t get barreled like Tereva David at Teahupo’o; but with the help of the new GoPro MAX2, they can see exactly what it looks like.

“This is Teahupo’o,” narrates the camera whizz behind the video. “One of the most powerful waves on the planet, and more recently famous for being the surf destination for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This week, I’m here to document local surf legend and GoPro athlete Tereva David, to showcase what a day at Teahupo’o looks like from his perspective.”

From my experience with Tereva, while on the ground for the 2024 Olympics in Tahiti, he’s a humble warrior, a soft-spoken giant built like a linebacker, and friendly as hell. He’s also one of the best surfers out at Teahupo’o; so, mostly, he lets that do the talking.

As for the state-of-the-art camera they strapped to Tereva’s back for the wide-angle, nearly 360-degree view from inside the coveted Teahupo’o vortex, here’s more on the specs from GoPro:

“MAX2 is a camera designed and built for action and ideal for the action-adventurer and action-sports enthusiast. It delivers True 8K 360 resolution capturing every video in crystal-clear detail. It is rugged, durable and has replaceable lenses that are easy to replace in-the-field by hand, and keep on shooting.”

Scroll to the end of the video above, and be transported where few have gone before – deep inside the tube at oversized Teahupo’o, all from the safety of a screen.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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