Trouble over surf tower: South Seas village counters Olympic organizers
Teahupo'o has magical significance for the best surfers in the world. One of the most famous and spectacular waves on the planet breaks in the South Pacific in front of the idyllic village on Tahiti. The Olympic Games also want to benefit from this in the summer.
The surfing competitions are not to take place on the French Atlantic, but more than 15,000 kilometers away from Paris at the legendary location in French Polynesia. A story about gigantism, environmental protection and compromises.
At its core, it is about the question: Olympics in a small fishing village in the South Seas - how does that go together? When plans for the Olympic infrastructure there became public, surfers, fishermen and other locals rebelled against the developers.
Tower causes concern
It wasn't the competition as such that was a problem, but a planned aluminum tower on the coral reef. This has to provide space for judges, photographers and other officials. According to the original plans, the structure was to take on unprecedented dimensions, be firmly anchored in the reef and be equipped with a sewage system and underwater pipes, among other things. The concern: the sensitive ecosystem could be damaged and the tower construction could have a negative impact on the reef, the life of the fish and the waves.
Local surfers Eimeo Czermak and Matahi Drollet, among others, campaigned for an online petition against the new tower. "There's no way we're going to let them destroy this place for three or four days of competition," wrote Drollet on Instagram in October.
A video he shared shows the nature, the diverse flora and fauna of the reef. The impressive images are intended to raise awareness of the issue and show what needs to be protected. More than 160,000 people have already signed the petition.
Why no wooden tower as before?
The critics do not doubt that a tower is needed. They just think that a new construction costing several million euros is excessive and see it this way: if a wooden tower is enough for the WSL Championship Tour competitions - a kind of World Cup for surfers with stars such as surfing legend Kelly Slater or Tokyo Olympic champion Italo Ferreira - then it should also be enough for the Olympics.
Leon Glatzer has a similar opinion. He thinks "that the existing wooden tower should be used to prevent new damage to the reef", the only German Olympic participant in surfing to date told the German Press Agency.
The 26-year-old also said: "The IOC should adapt to the local conditions and respect the locals, who still live there in harmony with nature. I don't think it will affect the live broadcast if you go there with slightly smaller cutlery in terms of organization and production."
New plans from the organizers
And indeed, the organizers have reacted and at least adjusted their original plans. Although the wooden tower could not be used for safety reasons, an aluminum tower of significantly reduced dimensions could be used. It will now only weigh nine tons instead of 14 and offer space for fewer people.
Because the tower will now be smaller, it will not be necessary to drill as deep for the foundations. The corals will be less damaged than the opponents feared. The organizers also want to do without a connection to the drinking water and sewage system.
They want to offer a competition "that respects the environment, where the games adapt to Teahupo'o and not the other way around," the organizing committee had previously said in response to a dpa inquiry. The dialog and work with environmental associations and local residents is to be continued.
However, the extent to which they are now satisfied is at least questionable. Even after the changes, people continued to sign the online petition for the wooden tower.
Despite the adjustments made by the organizers, the proposal for a smaller aluminum tower still faces opposition from local surfers and environmental advocates. Olympia Drollet, a prominent surfer from the region, continues to advocate for the use of the existing wooden tower to minimize damage to the coral reef and preserve the natural environment. In Paris 2024, she hopes that Surfing will prioritize environmental concerns and respect the unique environment of Teahupo'o, instead of constructing a new tower that could potentially harm the ecosystem.
Source: www.dpa.com
