Paris 2024 wishes to have dialogue with French Polynesia over controversial surfing site

PARIS – Paris 2024 organisers are sticking to their choice of Tahiti’s Teahupo’o site for the Olympics surfing competition, despite local opposition amid a dispute over

the construction of an aluminium tower

that residents say would damage the coral reef.

The idyllic lagoon-side village has long hosted some of the best contests on the professional World Surf League’s (WSL) championship tour, using a modest wooden tower, that is dismantled after every event, for judges on the reef.

Paris 2024 organisers, who have highlighted their ambition to minimise the Games’ environmental impact, plan to spend nearly US$5 million (S$6.8 million) to build a much larger tower with toilets, air-conditioning and space for 40 people that it says is needed to meet safety standards.

But an online petition – calling for the scrapping of plans for the 14m aluminium scaffolding and 800m service channel through the reef – had gathered almost 150,000 signatures by Wednesday.

Teahupo’o residents including Matahi Drollet, a famed surfer, say the new construction would cause significant damage to the coral reef, and risked impacting the marine ecosystem and the perfect wave itself.

“They have been using, judging, filming and doing lives from this actual tower for the professional WSL for the last 15 years,” he said in a video message during a protest against the tower in November. “The impact and the risk are too important for only three days of contest.”

French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson on Wednesday also said that the surfing events for the Summer Games could be moved to the Taharuu, on Tahiti’s west coast.

“That would have enabled us to avoid the problems we have today. In view of the issues at stake and the protests today, perhaps we can revise this option,” Brotherson was quoted as saying by French media.

The Paris 2024 organisers, meanwhile, said they wished to find a solution through dialogue.

“As our president, Tony Estanguet, recently pointed out, our priority today is to find a solution that will enable us to organise the surfing events of the Olympic Games in Tahiti, at the Teahupo’o site, in the best possible conditions,” the organisers said in a statement to Reuters.

“Tahiti was chosen because of the Teahupo’o site and its legendary wave, one of the most beautiful in the world.

“Discussions and studies will continue over the coming weeks to find a solution for organising the events on the Teahupo’o site.

“Along with all the stakeholders, and the Polynesian government in particular, Paris 2024 will continue to listen to all possible solutions to further improve the project. Dialogue and work will continue with environmental associations and local residents.”

The International Surfing Association, which is in charge of the surfing competition at the Olympics, was not immediately available for comment.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be held from July 26 to Aug 11. REUTERS