Tau Whiu
Bodyboarder/ Underground Charger
Birthday: 1/2/1978
Home base: Batemans Bay NSW
Board specs /preferred model: 41.75’ WOO model
Prone or DK: 60 /40
Fave Surf Destination: Good old north pointing wa
Other Sponsors: ebb
Nicknames: woo, woo tang, wooy, terry
Who motivates you and who do you respect the most?
Lately Glenn Thurston has been pushing my surfing, I hook up with him most times I go surfing. His surfing has really impoved over the last 12 months.
Respect the most……Mitch Rawlins. That guy is the future of bodyboarding. He is so calculated and powerful.
What’s the most embarrassing moment in your life so far?
Nothing really springs to mind, but I had a split in the croutch seam of my wetty (it’s fixed now). Anyway I got up on the knee at blackrock stalled back into a nice pit, stood up tall, then felt a breeze on my wang . I looked down and there he was poking his head out to enjoy the view aswell. Wouldn’t have been too bad except that the water was really cold.
If you’re not bodyboarding what could we find you doing?
Probably some thing with motorsport, either racing, drifting or that extreme 4x4ing. The other thing that gives me a similar excitement to bodyboarding is snowboarding (I’ve scored a job at Thredbo for the ski season).
What international place have you traveled that you could find yourself living there?
Hawaii x 3 – no way, that place is too heavy. I saw a fat American tourist get flogged by this moke (big Hawaiian) guy. It was after the famous Andy v’s Kelly pipe final. There was so much traffic everywhere, the moke bumped into the tourist car (infront of the cops), he then proceeded to walk over and punch the living shit out of the tourist, still in his car with his family. The cops broke it up and told the tourist to, ”move along please.”
The tourist was irate telling the cops he wants press charges, but they told him to forget it and Move Along Please. If that was Australia it wouldn’t happen.
N.Z. x3 – yes, heaps of family, but they are pretty wild
Indo x2 – great to visit but I couldn’t live there full time
Phillapines - same as indo
Europe – I would really enjoy a 12 month trip to Europe. There is so much to see and do. I did 7 weeks there with my family when I was young and we just scratched the surface. Plus I wasn’t allowed to surf.
Who are the main people or friends in your life and what have they done for you lately?
Mum – gave me life and a constant source of support. Thanks mum.
My uncles – Leonard and Gavin, as a grom they took turns taking me down to the beach for hours on end almost every weekend.
Heidi – my girlfriend. She’s sexy,smart, fun and cheeky. Always look forward to the time we spend together.
Dwayne – best mate and next door neighbour from Canberra. Moved to WA in ’95, told me to get my ass there ASAP. I arrived there in ’96.
Now he manages Billy Baxters Café in Batemans Bay, when I started working for him I went from kitchen hand to Assistant Manager overnight. Thanx mate.
Calum- Maker of Stalk. Met on my first day in WA, been best mates since, shared so many life experiences and good times together.
Whitney taylor- hooked me up on the ebb team. Helped me out with my sponsorship deals and always kept me warm with the latest ebb apparel.
Dave Tulloch – hooked me up on the funkshen team, gives me the most epic boards to ride keeps me warm in the newest funkshen gear and we always have a good time when we hang out.
Hands down, who’s the hottest female alive?
I don’t think that you could narrow it down too one. They all have there own unique thing that attracts you to them. Probably one of the ones you emailed me. They were all hot.
What’s the scariest moment you have had bodyboarding?
Surfing that massive left bombie. A big double up came thru and I gave it a go. Got hung in the lip, freefell, tried to grapple to the face and get under the lip. Felt the foam ball rattle my legs got a quick look down the biggest pit of my life then I just got blasted. I got picked up and thrown, landing on my head, my neck cracked and my right arm went numb with pins and needles. For a second I thought I was paralised to scared to try and move incase I couldn’t. I got picked up again and sent over the falls for the second time. I was moving so fast under water that if I hit the bottom I would have been mashed potato. It got to the point where I had to try and swim. My legs worked but my right arm was still feeling fucked. I battled my way up pulling on my leash. I got to my board but it was still under water, so I kept swimming up. I got to the surface took a big gulp of air and looked at a lip of doom about to land on me. Boom. The second wave pushed me out of the impact zone to the safety of the shoulder. Then I had to paddle 30 mins to shore with a bunky arm.
If you could look inside a crystal ball, what do you see as a possible trend in the next 2 years?
People dieing or getting smashed to bits trying to surf unsurfable waves. It seems that some of the stuff you see these days is insane! There is charging and there is dumb.
What’s been the most memorable trip, concert or party moment for you recently?
What goals are you working toward in the coming year?
Save up some money and go overseas again.
Do you have a secret talent we should know about?
Bit of a jack of all trades, pretty good person to know if shit goes wrong on a trip.
Any regrets?
Not doing a trade earlier in life.
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