By now, we all know that Kelly Slater won this week’s competition in Tahiti against Aussie Owen Wright, the 5th stop of the 11 stop tour to crown the ASP World Champion of 2011. Teahupoo, which usually brings in giant waves and is notoriously treacherous, had such huge swells this year that the ASP World Tour declared a “code red” situation one day because the swells were too large and breaking too swiftly to be safely caught by paddle power.

It was during this off day, in the middle of the event, when more than a dozen surfers conquered the massive surf and participated in what some observers described as the most incredible and intense big-wave session ever recorded. Tow surfers thrive on these giant swells – skiing onto building waves behind personal watercraft, then letting go of the rope and surfing on customized boards

Among the men and women who conquered the thunderous breakers, including a handful of World Tour surfers and some who endured monumental wipeouts, were Dylan Longbottom, Dean Morrison, Julian Wilson, Bruce Irons, Nathan Fletcher, Maya Gabeira, Keala Kennelly and Danilo Costa.

Check out the video above! Crazy amazing and unreal, and oh so cool.