As you’ve likely heard from a flip-flop wearing Colin Jost with a Mai-Tai in hand, there is one sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place on the other side of the world. Olympic officials made the unorthodox decision to take surfing global for the Games, landing in a tiny corner in the middle of the Pacific: Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
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The tiny village at the end of the road in French Polynesia is legendary in the surfing world for being home to one of the heaviest waves on the planet. After a historic Round 3 of the men’s competition, it’s safe to say Teahupo’o is now a world-famous destination.
SEE MORE: Far away from Paris, surfers will compete for gold at iconic Teahupo’o
On Monday, July 29, Teahupo’o, which translates to “Wall of Skulls,” provided the quintessential venue to showcase a perfect day of wave-riding. The swells were massive, curling into flawless barrels fit for only the world’s most elite riders. The athletes put on a show, performing one of the greatest days of competition in not just its Olympic history, but in the entire history of the sport.
SEE MORE: Men’s surfing Round 3 recap: Teahupo’o produces wild wipeouts, staggering scores
“The way that people and the world looks at surfing now has changed forever since yesterday,” German surfer, Tim Elter, told Reuters, who was eliminated from the Olympic event after Round 2. “We have this huge platform and all of these guys ripping out there showing the world what surfing is. I think that will change a lot, especially in the perception by non-surfers.”
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The competition had to be called off before the third round of the women’s event could get underway, as howling winds and rain squalls swept in, sabotaging the spectacular sets. Still, spirits were high among the competitors who didn’t have a chance to paddle out.
“I don’t think as surfers we could have asked for more in the first few days of this Olympic Games – it really showed what this wave can do and what the surfers can do,” American surfer, Carissa Moore, told Reuters, the reigning gold medalist from the Tokyo Games. Moore and a handful of other pros still found a way to hit the waves in the afternoon, surfing at a nearby beach with some local children on the island.
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Not only did Teahupo’o produce some unbelievable highlights, but it also served up some huge wipeouts. Jet-ski crews raced in throughout the day to scoop up fallen riders from the reef, further showcasing the sport for the extreme, death-defying act it truly is.
“There’s like the very real factor of getting seriously injured. I don’t know many other sports where you’re actually getting saved on the field of play like quite like that,” stated Moore. “Those guys were able to push themselves like they did because those (rescue) guys were coming in so quick. It was super impressive.”
The show was capped off in fitting fashion, with Brazil’s Gabriel Medina soaring through a gorgeous swell for the highest single-wave score in Olympic history. He then popped off the lip to create a now-viral photo, flying into the air and putting up his finger for a “No. 1.” Photographer, Jerome Brouillet, captured Medina just right; the surfer appears to levitate in midair air, posing with his board positioned beside him.
SEE MORE: Gabriel Medina soars for the most iconic photo of the Games
“I was just really stoked to be a surfer yesterday. I mean, I’m biased, but this has to be the coolest sport in the Olympics, especially here,” Moore exclaimed to Reuters about the witnessing the storybook day of competition.
Medina may be the one in the picture, but with the “No. 1” day in surfing history, the entire sport celebrated a victory.
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