Plans For Controversial Olympic Surfing Site In Tahiti Updated By Paris 2024 Organizers
Paris 2024 organizers have announced a final decision on what to do about the controversial Tahitian judging tower at Teahupo’o, where the surfing event for next year’s Olympic Games will be held. The current plan is to construct a new, smaller tower where the current, wooden tower stands.
“The new tower, less imposing and reduced in size and weight, installed on new permanent foundations, is the solution that will ensure the longevity of the tower and guarantee that future sporting events can be held at Teahupo’o,” reads a press statement from Paris 2024 organizers.
Residents, locals and the global surfing community at large have been vocal about their opposition to the originally proposed 46-foot aluminum structure. A petition opposing the development has been circulated and garnered over 160,000 signatures. The President of French Polynesia had proposed possibly moving the competition to another location. Earlier this month Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet announced that a decision would be made public by the end of November. After a review of all viable options, this week Paris 2024 released their latest plans.
“Based on thorough analysis of the different options and the priorities shared by the various stakeholders, the project for a new tower that is less imposing and substantially reduced in size and weight was judged to be the best option,” continues the release. “This presents the advantage of being able to reduce the depth of drilling for the foundations of the tower and allow the use of a barge with a shallower draught during the construction phase.”
In terms of environmental impact, Paris 2024 contends that they will adhere to all best practices and ensure that the protection and preservation of the pristine reef environment remains a top priority.
“The foundations will be designed using a process commonly used in Polynesia to create foundations in a coral environment (drilling and micropiles, without large-scale excavation),” they explain. “They will be installed in an area with few corals. Some coral reefs will be moved to avoid any risk of damage during the works, in accordance with a strict protocol drawn up by the environmental consultancy Créocéan and already tried and tested on numerous tourism and maritime development projects.”
The press release also notes that conversations with “associations, residents and all stakeholders” will continue in the lead up to the Olympic Games.
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.