Danger to coral reefs
The Olympics may have to plan without the most beautiful waves in the world
November 8th, 2023, 8:30 a.m
The Olympic surfing competitions are scheduled to take place 15,700 kilometers from Paris. One spot in Tahiti has the most beautiful waves in the world, but there is huge criticism of the choice of location. There is a risk of environmental damage, including to a coral reef. The president wants to postpone the competitions.
The surfing competitions of the 2024 Olympics may not take place at the famous Teahupoo spot in Tahiti after all. Moetai Brotherson, the president of French Polynesia, confirmed to the AFP news agency that he was considering moving to another location on the South Sea island for environmental reasons.
The holding of the competitions in the traditional town of Teahupoo is highly controversial among environmentalists, residents and surfers. In their opinion, the planned construction of an aluminum tower for the judges into the seabed would cause lasting damage to the fragile underwater world in the lagoon. Activists recently mobilized against the construction work, citing the threat to the coral reef.
Brotherson, who has only been president of the French overseas territory since May, shares the fears. He now plans to move the competitions from Teahupoo, a hard-to-reach location on the specially protected small peninsula of Tahiti Iti, to the lesser-known but more accessible Taharuu on the large island of Tahiti Nui. “This is a seaside resort with all the necessary infrastructure. If we had decided on this in the original planning, we could have avoided a whole series of problems,” said Brotherson.
In Teahupoo, an already built 14 meter high tower over three floors, including a technical room and toilets, was to be anchored in the seabed and supplied by underwater cables. Brotherson said completing the €4.4 million project would not be possible without damaging the corals.
The Summer Games will feature two surfing competitions from July 27th to 30th. The organizers of the games chose Teahupoo, around 15,700 kilometers from the Olympic “core location” Paris, as the venue, where, according to them, there is one of the most beautiful waves in the world.