I was born on Tahiti, a small tropical island in the Pacific. A friendly place to grow up, at first glance. But just beyond the shallow reef of my hometown Teahupoo lives a monster. Cho Po we call her, meaning "the severer of heads".
When I was a little girl her roar, heard from the beach, started to draw me to her. With my father and my friends we sailed out one day to meet this fierce creature from up close. Knowing that with giving it the respect she deserves she would treat us mild.
As we sailed closer her roar became deafening, she towered 15 meters out of the clear blue water in front of us. The hairs on my arms and neck stood up, my body sensing the danger, and my heart was pounding. We could feel her strength by the way she tossed the boat around in the water.
"Stay in the boat" my dad said, just before he dove in the water. I looked at the empty spot where he sat fearing i would never see my dad again.
"She can be tamed if you know how to treat her" he yelled when he popped out of the water again.
And before my own eyes i saw my dad grab the beast by the shoulder and ride along. I watched him race through the water, chased by the beast trying to grab him. Trying to pull him under and smash his head on the shallow reef. I saw the sparkle in his eyes as he outwitted her, using her force not fighting it. I wanted to be able to do that one day.
From then on every day I woke up I would listen to her roar in the distance, listening if she was angry or mild tempered. And on the mild days we would go out to face the beast. Playing with her, enjoying her mild moments. All too aware that she could change and show her angry side.
Many years I spent my free time in the water. With my friends we would bob around in the ocean letting her chase us. So much time spent being tossed and thrown around by her that i feel it sometimes when i am in bed. My eyes closed laying perfectly still but having the feeling of being pushed, pulled and thrown around.
In these years she made me see the gates of heaven, the fathomless pits of hell. She let me ride her and let me live.
Rare footage of the brave men and women of my island taking on the beast:
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