While most 2024 Olympians will compete in Paris, the world’s top surfers will chase gold 16,000km away on Tahiti’s island, where the famed Teahupo’o waves promise to be the true star.
Competition will be intense among the sport’s traditional powerhouses, but host nation France poses a real threat with two Tahitian locals qualifying to surf at their home break.
“Hosting the Olympics at Teahupo’o is the best spot they could ever pick just because it’s such a good wave at that time of the year,” said local Vahine Fierro, who won the Tahiti Pro in May. “I think the Olympics are going back to where the surf was born.”
Surfing has a long history in French Polynesia, dating back to the 12th century, but it made its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021. The Teahupo’o contest will differ significantly from Tokyo’s beach break, with its heavy, hollow tubes breaking over a coral reef.
“It’s a totally different wave,” said Lucca Mesinas, who represented Peru in Tokyo and has qualified for Paris 2024. “Japan was a beach break and a lot of wind. Tahiti is just an amazing island with a perfect lefthander.”
Teahupo’o, translating to “Pile of Heads” from a local legend, was chosen due to France’s mostly flat beaches this time of year. Its waves, up to 10m high, boast explosive power and massive tubes, thanks to South Pacific storms generating swells that break over a shallow reef.
Spectator boats can get close to the action, while judges will watch from a controversial new tower built into the reef. Surfline predicts stronger-than-normal swells during the Olympic window from July 27-August 8, favoring top tube-riders like John John Florence, Jack Robinson, and Gabriel Medina.
In the women’s event, Carissa Moore will face stiff competition from Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers, but Tahiti locals Fierro and Kauli Vaast could have the final say at their home break.
“You can have the best wave of your life or the worst wipeout,” said Vaast. “To surf Teahupo’o you have to be really good and not scared because it’s a wave that requires skills.”
