World surfing body joins local opposition to controversial new Olympics tower in Tahiti
Surfing’s world governing body has said it opposes construction of a controversial new judges’ tower for the 2024 Olympics event in Tahiti which has sparked a backlash from locals and environmentalists over fears it could irreparably damage the local coral reef.
“The International Surfing Association (ISA) will not support the construction of the new aluminum judges’ tower at Teahupo’o,” the body said in a statement, a week after construction began.
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For the past 20 years, a wooden judges’ tower has been used in Teahupo’o, home to one of the world’s most famous surf breaks, for professional competitions. Many protesters would like to see the old tower used for the 2024 Olympics, or even a new wooden tower built on the original foundations.
However, Olympic organisers and government leaders on the French Polynesian island worry it could pose a safety risk and last week construction began on the new tower despite the objections.
In its statement on Tuesday, the ISA said earlier this month it had proposed more environmentally friendly solutions such as building the tower on land and using digital cameras on the wooden tower to capture the surfers.
“The ISA proposal included judging the competition remotely, with live images shot from land, water and drones,” the ISA said. “Subsequently the French Polynesian government decided to go forward with a plan to build a new aluminum tower on the reef.”
Spectators on boats at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro 2022, the WSL Championship Tour, in Teahupo’o. Photograph: Jérôme Brouillet/AFP/Getty Images
The three-storey building will be roughly the same size as the original wooden tower, with space for up to 31 people – just five more than on the old one.
In a bid to reduce the environmental impact and appease locals some, changes have been made to the original plan proposed by Olympic organisers. The new design is smaller and does not include flushing toilets or an underground water network. Instead, judges will have to return to the main island to use the toilet, and portable drinking fountains will be used for water.
Teahupo’o is a small coastal community and much of the lagoon and land area are protected natural heritage areas. Aside from its wave, the area is known for its pristine environment.
France’s Vahine Fierro during the women’s semi-finals heat in the World Surf League (WSL) Tahiti pro competition in Teahupo’o in August. Photograph: Jérôme Brouillet/AFP/Getty Images
Aimatarii Levy, vice-president of Vai Ara O Teahupo’o, an environmental organisation based in Teahupo’o, says that although the new design is smaller, it is still not enough: “We wanted no drilling in the reef, no impact. And with their solution, they will drill less, but they will still drill in the reef.”
Current plans include drilling 133 holes in the reef, to a depth of 2 metres, for the concrete foundations. So far, construction work has been light, and builders have been marking a safe path through the coral reef for construction barges to get through to the site.
The controversy surrounding the new tower has gained momentum since the first peaceful protest against it in Teahupo’o in October, which attracted about 500 people from around Tahiti.
Since then, over 200,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the tower and prominent surfers including Kelly Slater and Carissa Moore have lent their support. Surfers in France also organised a protest on Sunday, swimming out off the beach at Guéthary on the Atlantic coast.
Lorenzo Avvenenti, a pro surfer and resident of Teahupo’o, said an incident earlier this month in which a barge meant to aid construction of the new tower became stuck on the offshore reef during a test run had further angered some locals.
“I saw their motors just blasting the coral reef and breaking everything and breaking their propeller at the same time,” Avvenenti said, “That was the biggest destruction of the reef I’ve seen in my life. Especially in a sacred place like Teahupo’o, which is so raw and so untouched.”
In response, the president of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, apologised and swam in the lagoon with protesters the following day. But Brotherson insists the new tower is necessary due to safety concerns, and that the time left until the Games is too short to consider other solutions.
Barbara Martins-Nio, general manager of the 2024 Paris Olympic committee based in Tahiti, said the barge incident “was clearly a mistake that we all take responsibility for.”
But she also insisted the new tower was necessary for the competition and added that three building compliance inspection agencies, including Veritas, have advised against using the old foundation and tower.
Tetuanui Hamblin, mayor of Taiarapu Ouest, the district next to Teahupo’o, believes the benefits of building the tower outweigh the costs, and says that 90% of the population in Taiarapu Ouest agree.
“It’s not everyday we have the chance to welcome the Olympic Games,” he says.