hellwoman
11-24-2007, 08:21 AM
10 Questions from Surfline for Maya
Views: 15025
Photo: Sean Collins November 17, 2007 Maya won this year's Billabong XXL Women's Best Performance Award, she was charging Teahupoo for over a month straight this past south swell season and, at the beginning of this month, flew back to Tahiti for the biggest swell the southern hemi's seen this year.
And maybe almost as hyped up as the swell itself was Maya's notorious wipeout at Chopes. We caught up with her, back in Hawaii, to get a recap of the whole experience.
YOU WERE IN TAHITI FOR A WHILE. HOW LONG WERE YOU THERE WITHOUT LEAVING?
I was in Tahiti from August to September and then I left to do some traveling. But I just flew in for this crazy huge south swell.
WHEN DID YOU SUDDENLY DECIDE TO TAKE OFF?
I check maps all the time -- probably two or three times a day -- for many different big waves spots around the globe. I was tracking this swell for a while. Actually, my friends, Carlos Burle, Danilo Couto Fred Pompermayer (the photographer) and I were all watching it until the last minute just to make the call to buy our tickets and fly over.
WHO INFLUENCED YOU TO GO?
I wanted to go really badly but I was just arriving in Hawaii after a week of big waves at Maverick's and didn't have enough money to fly to Tahiti. But I talked to Carlos Burle and he thought I didn't sound happy when I said I wasn't gonna go, so he told me to think about it some more. But then Danilo Couto came over to my house to book his ticket online and he gave me all the support I needed to just forget about money issues and follow my heart. Fred was super supportive too! "I remember airdropping then falling on my back, watching the lip coming to smash me, but before that happened I went over the falls with the amount of water that was sucking off the reef. Heaviest wipeout of my life!"
--Maya Gabeira
DID YOU REALIZE HOW BIG THAT SWELL WAS GOING TO BE?
Yes, I though it was gonna be huge. I kept telling myself I would surf late afternoon if I had the chance since the swell would be dropping. Worst-case scenario: I would have to surf the morning after the big day, which didn't sound too exciting to me. But deep inside I knew if the guys gave me support I was gonna go and it didn't matter what size it was!
WERE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE THIS YEAR'S BIGGEST SOUTH ARRIVE IN NOVEMBER?
Yes, very surprised. I didn't even have my tow board ready. But as Carlos says, there's no date for the biggest swells of the year -- it's just nature!
DID YOU MEET SOME NEW PEOPLE IN TAHITI?
Yes Tahitians are so nice. I love the culture and their people. Raimana is the man. I'll never forget his smile and his words before towing me into the heaviest waves of my life!
WAS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE PLACE THIS TIME AROUND?
I was there just to surf that day -- a very intense trip -- and once the swell was gone I just felt like going back to Hawaii ASAP. I needed to stay alone in peace and quiet!
YOUR BIG WIPEOUT WAS SO NUTSO. WE SAW IT ON THE NEWS HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT WAVE?
Well I was really nervous at that point. It was going to be my first wave so Raimana started the ski and drove towards that wave and I remember him saying, "I'm just looking." The next thing I felt like I was in it but then I hear, "NO!" Too late -- I went anyway. I wanted to check it out really badly; I needed something to relieve me from that whole rush that I had going on in my body but it was very heavy! I remember airdropping then falling on my back, watching the lip coming to smash me, but before that happened I went over the falls with the amount of water that was sucking off the reef. Heaviest wipeout of my life! My mind kept playing tricks one me. I was scared and it was very hard to overcome my first two waves 'cause they were two wipeouts. But I'm really glad I have all the surfers supporting me 'cause they didn't care and they kept coming over and asking me to grab the rope so I kept on surfing. Thanks guys!
WAS THERE A POINT THAT YOU FEARED FOR YOUR LIFE BUT JUST KEPT TELLING YOURSELF TO GO?
Not for my life but really fearing I'd get injured and not be able to surf the winter in the North Pacific! But I had to keep on going. I waited for a long time to have a day where I could put everything I've ever done for surfing big waves in practice.
WOULD YOU TRY TAKING OFF ON THAT WAVE AGAIN IF YOU HAD A CHANCE?
For sure I will -- but next time I'll make it! I've been studying the footage and it was makeable. I was just on the wrong spot. I stayed for too long on the rope and I could've used a heavier board for sure. Plus, next time I'll have little more experience.
http://www.surfline.com/womens/story_bamp.cfm?id=12330
Views: 15025
Photo: Sean Collins November 17, 2007 Maya won this year's Billabong XXL Women's Best Performance Award, she was charging Teahupoo for over a month straight this past south swell season and, at the beginning of this month, flew back to Tahiti for the biggest swell the southern hemi's seen this year.
And maybe almost as hyped up as the swell itself was Maya's notorious wipeout at Chopes. We caught up with her, back in Hawaii, to get a recap of the whole experience.
YOU WERE IN TAHITI FOR A WHILE. HOW LONG WERE YOU THERE WITHOUT LEAVING?
I was in Tahiti from August to September and then I left to do some traveling. But I just flew in for this crazy huge south swell.
WHEN DID YOU SUDDENLY DECIDE TO TAKE OFF?
I check maps all the time -- probably two or three times a day -- for many different big waves spots around the globe. I was tracking this swell for a while. Actually, my friends, Carlos Burle, Danilo Couto Fred Pompermayer (the photographer) and I were all watching it until the last minute just to make the call to buy our tickets and fly over.
WHO INFLUENCED YOU TO GO?
I wanted to go really badly but I was just arriving in Hawaii after a week of big waves at Maverick's and didn't have enough money to fly to Tahiti. But I talked to Carlos Burle and he thought I didn't sound happy when I said I wasn't gonna go, so he told me to think about it some more. But then Danilo Couto came over to my house to book his ticket online and he gave me all the support I needed to just forget about money issues and follow my heart. Fred was super supportive too! "I remember airdropping then falling on my back, watching the lip coming to smash me, but before that happened I went over the falls with the amount of water that was sucking off the reef. Heaviest wipeout of my life!"
--Maya Gabeira
DID YOU REALIZE HOW BIG THAT SWELL WAS GOING TO BE?
Yes, I though it was gonna be huge. I kept telling myself I would surf late afternoon if I had the chance since the swell would be dropping. Worst-case scenario: I would have to surf the morning after the big day, which didn't sound too exciting to me. But deep inside I knew if the guys gave me support I was gonna go and it didn't matter what size it was!
WERE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE THIS YEAR'S BIGGEST SOUTH ARRIVE IN NOVEMBER?
Yes, very surprised. I didn't even have my tow board ready. But as Carlos says, there's no date for the biggest swells of the year -- it's just nature!
DID YOU MEET SOME NEW PEOPLE IN TAHITI?
Yes Tahitians are so nice. I love the culture and their people. Raimana is the man. I'll never forget his smile and his words before towing me into the heaviest waves of my life!
WAS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE PLACE THIS TIME AROUND?
I was there just to surf that day -- a very intense trip -- and once the swell was gone I just felt like going back to Hawaii ASAP. I needed to stay alone in peace and quiet!
YOUR BIG WIPEOUT WAS SO NUTSO. WE SAW IT ON THE NEWS HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT WAVE?
Well I was really nervous at that point. It was going to be my first wave so Raimana started the ski and drove towards that wave and I remember him saying, "I'm just looking." The next thing I felt like I was in it but then I hear, "NO!" Too late -- I went anyway. I wanted to check it out really badly; I needed something to relieve me from that whole rush that I had going on in my body but it was very heavy! I remember airdropping then falling on my back, watching the lip coming to smash me, but before that happened I went over the falls with the amount of water that was sucking off the reef. Heaviest wipeout of my life! My mind kept playing tricks one me. I was scared and it was very hard to overcome my first two waves 'cause they were two wipeouts. But I'm really glad I have all the surfers supporting me 'cause they didn't care and they kept coming over and asking me to grab the rope so I kept on surfing. Thanks guys!
WAS THERE A POINT THAT YOU FEARED FOR YOUR LIFE BUT JUST KEPT TELLING YOURSELF TO GO?
Not for my life but really fearing I'd get injured and not be able to surf the winter in the North Pacific! But I had to keep on going. I waited for a long time to have a day where I could put everything I've ever done for surfing big waves in practice.
WOULD YOU TRY TAKING OFF ON THAT WAVE AGAIN IF YOU HAD A CHANCE?
For sure I will -- but next time I'll make it! I've been studying the footage and it was makeable. I was just on the wrong spot. I stayed for too long on the rope and I could've used a heavier board for sure. Plus, next time I'll have little more experience.
http://www.surfline.com/womens/story_bamp.cfm?id=12330