It’s Highly Likely Tahiti Will Be The Site Of Olympic Surfing In 2024

Will Teahupoo be the site of the Olympics in 2024? It’s sounding like it. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board has been meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, this week and things appear to be falling into place for Tahiti’s long shot bid to host the 2024 Olympic surf comp. 

According to press reports, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet has stated that there is not any opposition within the IOC’s ruling Executive Board to Tahiti hosting surfing in 2024.

The group’s main criteria in choosing the location has revolved around the various locations’ “experience in hosting surfing competitions, weather conditions, the quality of the body of water, and facilities for hosting athletes and spectators.”

Teahupoo ticks a lot of those boxes…a lot.

Senior IOC official Christophe Dubi was coy with the information he shared on the subject but noted there have been some “extremely exciting” developments. 

“The International Surfing Association was involved, including for the athletes experience and requirements would be covered by the proposals,” said Dubi.

Tahiti originally submitted their proposal to the IOC back in July, but it was considered more of a pipe dream because, well, Tahiti’s really not that close to Paris. And IOC President Thomas Bach wasn’t a fan, explaining he’d prefer a spot “closest to the center of the Games.”

More established French surf towns including Biarritz, Lacanau and Hossegor were among the five bids that were submitted, and on the surface, would have appeared a more logical choice. But here we are.

The next step requires the IOC Organizing Committee’s Executive Board to sign off on the proposal.

“There are certainly no obstacles but there is work to be done before the December 12 meeting of the Executive Board,” Dubi continued

Additionally, it was made clear, at the 2024 Games surfing will take place in the ocean, not a pool. 

So, it a week’s time we’ll know if the Olympics are headed to the South Pacific in 2024.