New Olympic Surfing Development Plans In Tahiti Bring Public Outcry
After an announcement by Paris 2024 organizers that they would alter their original plans for the Olympic judging tower at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, the new option has received a cold reception by residents and the local community. In a video released by the Save Teahupo’o group on Instagram, they contend that they, sadly, may be back at square one.
“No contest in this world is worth the destruction of nature,” says Matahi Drollet, one of Tahiti’s most established surfers. “This goes against the true values of surfing and sports in general.”
The issue has been driven safety concerns for Olympic personnel and that the current judging tower, which has been used for every WSL Championship Tour event since 2003, isn’t up to code for the three-day surf Olympic surf competition. The video features a testimonial from Mati Hoffmann, who helped build the original judging tower.
“I’ve spent my life working in the Polynesian lagoon,” explains Hoffmann. “I guarantee you that a technical specification had been respected. Twenty years later, the foundations are still intact.”
Plans For Controversial Olympic Surfing Site In Tahiti Updated By Paris 2024 Organizers
Residents, as well as the broader surf community, contend that even the new plans for the judging tower, which include drilling new foundations underwater, will damage the pristine reef ecosystem at Teahupo’o.
“It is sure that this project will have an impact on the local reef ecosystem of Teahupo’o,” says Titouan Bernicot, CEO of Coral Gardners, a group that works to restore damaged reefs. “It is hard to predict the consequences, but one thing is sure, there will be an impact. Every time we modify the environment, we see, not immediately, but years later issues arising and it’s too late to fix them. Everyone benefits from the coral reefs.”
The potential upside for an Olympic surfing event at Teahupo’o is massive. One of the most pristine, beautiful waves on the planet, it’s an opportunity to showcase the very best of surfing to the rest of the world. The sport was originally included in the Olympic program specifically to appeal to new audiences and attract younger viewers. It could drive crazy viewership numbers and really be something historic. Or it could push people further away from the Olympic establishment. Absolutely nobody wins if the reef at Teahupo’o is damaged, it’s beyond time for Paris 2024 organizers to listen to the people and understand how very bad this could be.
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With more than 25 years of writing about surfing, the ocean and action sports, Jake Howard continues to share stories, profiles and issues that shape the surfing world. One of the premier subject-matter experts in the field today, he's savvy in the ways of print, digital and social media, his breadth of work is expansive. Getting his start writing Surfline surf reports and recording the phone reports for 976-SURF in the late '90s, Jake served as the managing editor for Surfer Magazine in the early 2000s before moving on to launch RedBullSurfing.com and cover surfing for ESPN and the X Games. Over the years, Jake has also enjoyed time behind the edit desk at The Surfer's Journal, as well as the World Surf League, where he worked as the Senior Editor for a number of years. Beyond producing editorial content, Jake has served as a digital marketer and copywriter for iconic surf brands such as Quiksilver, Roxy and Rip Curl. Writing thousands of pages of copy for Surfline, he has deep SEO experience as well. The surf columnist for the San Clemente Times, Jake continues to dedicate himself to the culture and history of the sport through his involvement with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente.