Cowabunga, dude! At long last, surfing is coming to the Olympics. It is set to make its debut at the 2020 Games, now rescheduled for next summer. But the addition of the sport posed a problem for organizers of the 2024 Games. Why? The competition will be held in Paris, France. That European city is more than 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and the French coast isn’t known for offering the greatest waves in summer.
So the organizers looked farther afield: 10,000 miles away, to the island of Tahiti—which is located in the South Pacific. (Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, a territory of France.) The Olympic event will be held in a place called Teahupo’o, home to some of the world’s most challenging—and dangerous—waves.
Indeed, the name Teahupo’o roughly translates to “wall of skulls.” In fact, world-class professional surfer Keala Kennelly had a head-on collision with a reef there in 2011. Her injury required dozens of stitches. Still, surfing enthusiasts are pumped about the plan. They say the danger will make the Olympics more exciting.