How the Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti is going

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti >> Surfing will make its second Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Games, following a successful debut in Tokyo. This time, the competition will be held on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.

Below are some important details about the surfing competition and what to look out for.

WHY IS THERE SURFING IN TAHITI?

France has great surfing beaches, but they tend to be flat in the summer. Tahiti, on the other side of the world, on the other hand, gets huge swells from the South Pacific during the Southern Hemisphere winter, and when they hit the reef at Teahupo’o, something special happens. The wave is one of the most perfect, powerful and intimidating in the world, which is a tough test for Olympians.

WHEN DID SURFING START?

The competition period runs from July 27 to August 5, but only four days are needed to complete the event. The competition may not take place on days when the waves are too small or too big, or when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction — wind blowing off the coast is best. Saturday and Sunday look good before a storm system gets too close and blows things away for a few days.

WHO’S PARTICIPATING IN SURFING?

24 men and 24 women from 21 different countries. Big names, including John John Florence and Caroline Marks from Hawaii, Gabriel Medina from Brazil and Molly Picklum from Australia, compete against surfers from lesser-known surfing countries, such as Yang Siqi from China, Alan Cleland from Mexico and Anat Lelior from Israel.

Round one is three-person heats, with the winner advancing directly to round three and the losers re-seeded for elimination round two. Round two and beyond are two-person heats, direct knockout.

HOW IS SURFING SCORED?

A panel of five judges will rate the rides out of 10 points. A surfer’s two best waves are added together to determine a total of 20 possible points.

Surfers can be moored if they are obstructed, for example if they are in the way of another surfer who has the right of way on a wave.

There are no designated points for any particular maneuver, but Teahupo’o is all about getting tubed — riding the spinning vortex of water as the wave breaks. Taking off on the biggest, most intense waves at their most critical moment and riding the barrel the longest earns high scores.

WHAT’S THE SPIT IN SURFING?

Beware of the spit: an explosion of compressed air and water that shoots out of the tube as it collapses. Depending on the rupture, the intensity can range from a champagne bottle jet to a fire hose. Teahupo’o is definitely at the fire hose end of the spectrum. A surfer who comes out with the spit will get a good score. Coming out after the spit requires real control and will likely earn an excellent score.

Turns here are worth less points than in other places, but can be useful if the waves are smaller or less perfect than normal.