Drums and dance get the Tahiti’s Olympic surf celebration

Olympic surfing has its own ceremony that opens the event, which takes place in Tahiti

Tahiti hosted to the 2024 Olympic surfing competition on Friday with bright sunshine, music and Polynesian tradition that honored the sport’s roots from the beginning which is a world away from the gloomy weather of the Games the inaugural ceremony held in Paris.

In a park with a beach that is located only 25 miles from the beach of Teahupo’o, surfers dumped sandy beach sand they had gathered from their personal beaches into a vessel for community use. They then gathered the various shades and textures in order to show the unity and respect for the ocean.

Ceremonial artifacts, as well as dignitaries were transported on outrigger canoes. They were then taken to the beach of black, which was where the athletes marched before a huge tent.

Hosting country France naturally received the largest cheers, with particular praise for Teahupo’o surfers of the local region Vahine Fierro as well as Kauli Vaast who are one of the top contenders in the event that begins on Saturday.

The athletes and official danced alongside local performers dressed in flowers and grass skirts, before large screen TVs that were directly connected with Paris and a muddy display of nations.

Then in Tahiti it was sunny and smiling as surfers rejoiced in the exceptional circumstances of the Olympic event.