All videos: Diego Balestro

Last Tuesday the waves were incredible at Teahupoo, synchronized with the date scheduled for the prestigious trials of the seventh stop of the CT. Nine foreigners faced 25 locals and for the first time the first two places stayed at home.

Here we collect five moments that could be captured from the channel.

1: Aritz Aranburu couldn't repeat what he did last year, but he got some great hits

Aritz traveled from surfing and losing at a US Open that had tiny waves, to a Teahupoo with the kind of flesh he likes. In a close series he lost to locals Mihimana Braye and Tereva David.

2: Barron Mamiya deserves CT

Just two days after winning the US Open junior small wave event at Huntington Beach, Hawaiian Barron Mamiya went to the trials. He made it to the quarterfinals, where he lost to eventual champion Mateia Hiquily. On his way out, he said he didn't feel bad about the loss, it had been a while since he had ridden a good tube. How could he feel bad? He was riding those tubes all day!

3: Bruno Santos is pure class

There's a reason he won this event in 2008 and the trials on more than one occasion. But this year the Tahitians had other plans... The Tahitians and Teahupoo had other plans in their semi-final series against Tikanui: He needed a five-point wave for over five minutes and it never came.

4: There are almost brothers in a CT again

Michel Bourez's younger brother, Kevin, got a few barrels to get through rounds 1 and 2 and reach the quarterfinals where he couldn't beat Brazilian Bruno Santos. He must have gone home happy for getting barrels like the one in the video.

5: Mateia Hiquily: The class of the champion

A few years ago Mateia Hiquily was ranked 52nd in the QS rankings, relatively close to the CT qualification zone. Without a main sponsor, he now stays away from the competitions that led him to travel around the world. However, when he puts on the jersey, the hunger to win returns, especially when the waves are like this.