I found another interesting sign that gives the history of the name Teahupo'o. The name is actually Te-ahu-po'o. Knowing that, I remembered that ahu is Polynesian for a ceremonial platform, like those on Rapa Nui where the famous Easter Island moai are erected. It turns out that Teahupo'o has a history as fierce as its waves. There was a border dispute that ended in battle between two districts, one to the north and the other to the south. The southern warriors won, and beheaded the defeated enemy, placing their heads along the border. It was an 'Altar of Skulls' - or, Te-ahu-po'o.