The NGO Surfrider Foundation asked the International Olympic Committee on Saturday to “explore other solutions, including other competition sites”, with a view to protecting the Tahitian site of Teahupo’o, which is to host the Olympic event. surfing of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “We urge the International Olympic Committee to explore other solutions, including alternative competition venues,” write the European and American branches of the Surfrider Foundation in a joint statement.
Work has been paused
“We urge the International Olympic Committee, and all other interests at stake, to respect the interests and traditions of the indigenous and local Tahitians who live in Teahupo’o and to explore alternatives that will protect the health and integrity of this unique marine ecosystem”, also declares the NGO. Chosen in 2020, the Teahupo’o site, known worldwide for its famous wave and its transparent waters, has for months been at the heart of tensions between the Polynesian government, the organizers of the Olympic Games and the local populations.
The replacement of a wooden tower with an aluminum structure for the judges particularly focuses tensions. During technical tests on December 1, filmed by environmental defense associations, a barge planned for the installation of this new tower broke coral, pushing the Polynesian government to pause the work. The decision was welcomed on Wednesday by the International Surfing Federation (ISA).
“The credibility of current construction plans was undermined when an empty construction barge ran aground on the reef during a recent site visit,” Surfrider believes. The initial project to install an aluminum judges’ tower to replace the wooden one, which was no longer up to standard, according to the organizers, had raised strong opposition, with associations believing that it risked degrading the seabed.
In mid-November, the organizers and the Polynesian government therefore revised their copy with a project for a lighter tower in order to “limit environmental damage as much as possible”. The Polynesian government decided to suspend work on the site after the barge test. “We all regret this test which went poorly last week,” said the president of the Olympic organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, on Thursday. “Today, with the Polynesian government, we are trying to find new technical solutions to carry out this work while respecting the environment,” he explained.