On the other side of the earth from the epicenter of the Paris Summer Games, one competition is returning to its roots – while still flying the French flag. For the second Summer Games in a row, surfing is part of the Olympic Games. And while many of the Summer Games competitions are spread around the French capital and even as far away as its Mediterranean coast, mainland France can’t boast the kind of competitive surfing conditions at this time of the year required of Olympic champions.

 

Cue Teahuop’o, Tahiti, home to one of the world’s greatest waves and surf breaks, with heavy, barreling waves and vibrant surfing culture. It’s a highlight of the international surfing competition circuit – and the most distant part of France.

 

10,000 miles from Paris, Tahiti is hosting the surfing events for the Paris Olympics. It also happens to be the heart and home of the origins of the sport and the movement of surfing.

Surfing originated in Polynesia, with evidence suggesting that the sport was practiced in Tahiti and other Polynesian islands long before Western contact. The earliest recorded accounts of surfing come from European explorers, such as the famous explorer Captain James Cook, who witnessed Polynesians surfing in Tahiti in the 18th century.

Surfing was an integral part of Polynesian and Tahitian culture, including in Tahiti. It was more than just a sport; it was a deeply spiritual and social activity that held significant cultural meaning.

The largest island in French Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean, Tahiti is nonetheless part of France, and Tahitians are French citizens. French Polynesia is composed of several groups of islands, with Tahiti being the most populous and well-known.

 

In the run up to the extraordinary Summer Games competition half a world away from the official host city, Tahiti is reminding the world of surf lovers, sports fans and travelers about Teahupo’o and The Islands of Tahiti’s history in surf lore, releasing two videos:

 

Surfing is just one symbol of Tahiti’s everlasting grasp on our travel imagination. The romance and appeal of its stunning natural landscape, with its crystal-clear and impossibly-hued waters, lush mountains, and vibrant coral reefs, as well as its renowned South Pacific culture and hospitality, make it a bucket list destination even for those of us who have – and will never! Catch a wave.