Relief for the Tahitians … and for the organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Following a meeting with environmental associations on Sunday, December 10th, the Polynesian president, Moetai Brotherson, assured that the surfing event of the Olympics will take place on the famous Teahupo’o spot.
“The solution we managed to adopt tonight allows the games to take place here,” the president said. With a population shared between the painful economic consequences that a relocation of the event would have caused and the anger of the local population, the president was satisfied to have obtained the unanimous support of all mayors, the Surf Federation, and even associations, except one.
Months of tension
The replacement of a wooden tower with an aluminum structure for the judges, required by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), had been a source of tension for months. During technical trials last December 1st, a barge planned for the installation of this new tower broke coral, prompting the Polynesian government to pause the work. After discussions between the different parties, a revision of the IOC’s specifications was agreed upon. The aluminum tower has been reduced in size and weight compared to the initial project, although technicians believe that new drilling in the coral is still necessary.
This decision, while it seems like a resolution of the crisis, does not convince all the actors. “The current position is that we do not want any new foundations,” reminded the president of the environmental protection association Vai ara o Teahupoo, Cindy Otcenasek, who has been a leading force in the mobilization.
On the other hand, the NGO Surfrider recalls that the reef ecosystem and the lagoon of Teahupo’o have remained healthy for several generations thanks to the dedicated management of the local population. “As a result, any project related to the Teahupo’o reef ecosystem should only be carried out with the total collaboration of the local community,” the organization believes. “Even though we understand the expectation of surf fans to see the best athletes in the world compete on one of the most beautiful waves in the world, we strongly urge the IOC to respect the interests and traditions of the Tahitians who protect the integrity of this unique marine ecosystem,” Surfrider stated.
Tests conducted in May
Another voice, that of the Association for the Defense of Fenua’aihere, the preserved nature area where the Teahupo’o site is located, expressed gratitude for the efforts of the government and the Olympic Games Organizing Committee (Cojo) before acknowledging that they can no longer “go back.” “We are hosting the games, we have to move forward together,” the president said.
Now, the suspended work on December 4th will resume. Moetai Brotherson presented a schedule that will result in a functional tower by May 13th, just a few days before the World Surf League (WSL) World Tour stage. This competition will serve as a test before the Olympic event in July.
While the ministry is pleased with the “collective intelligence” of resolving the crisis, the French Surfing Federation (FFS) recalls that they “have never been consulted” by the organizers of the 2024 Paris Games, “neither on the choice of the site nor on the conditions of the surfing competition.” Furthermore, “we do not want to interfere on the territory of the Tahitian Surf Federation,” the organization explained.
