A building swell at the Paris 2024 Olympics saw Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette progress to Round 2 in Tahiti today. Both surfers made New Zealand proud, grasping opportunities in their respective opening heats at Tahiti’s infamous Teahupo’o.
Over 15,000 kilometers from the host city, Olympic Surfing debuted for Paris 2024 in the deep blue waters of French Polynesia. Two years of qualification events across the globe culminated in a beautiful first day of competition that featured clean four-to-six feet of swell and barely any wind.
The intimidating reef of one of the world’s most dangerous waves, Teahupo’o, could be clearly seen through the crystal clear barrels that were expertly navigated by the world’s best surfers as Round 1 was completed for both men and women. No eliminations took place today, with first place in each heat progressing into Round 3 and the remaining two surfers reseeded into Round 2.
Billy was up first in Heat 5 against Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) and João Chianca (BRA). Billy came out swinging and found a couple of good starting scores before the pendulum swung in favour of eventual heat winner João and second-placed Ramzi. Billy needed a pretty mid-range score, but just didn’t find the right wave. It was heartening to see Billy in that mix and certainly not out of his depth in that arena. Tomorrow should see a slight increase in the swell size with Billy drawing Brazilian Filipe Toledo in the first elimination round. Billy has a handful of scalps from the very top line of world surfing – including Kelly Slater and Gabriel Medina – so will no doubt draw on that energy ahead of the heat.
Standouts in the men’s side of the draw included USA’s John John Florence and Griffin Colapinto. John John was playful out there and posted the highest heat total of 17.33 and looked completely comfortable in the lineup. Griffin was equally as impressive as he chalked up a score of 17.03. In context, some heats didn’t break double digits and no other surfer broke the 15-point mark.
Having competed in Tokyo 2020 with a significant knee injury, John John, the two-time WSL World Champion and current World No. 1 is feeling relaxed and confident entering his second Olympic Games.
“So cool to be representing where I’m from, representing America, Hawaii, everything, and come and get into the heat and start feeling really good and excited and energized,” John John said. “I think that’s always, you know, you get into the heat and you’re like, ‘How am I going to feel? Am I going to be nervous?’ I think I got into that and I was just excited, the waves were fun. I feel like I’m in a really good place right now.”
Our Gisborne girl Saffi Vette certainly didn’t disappoint – opening her campaign with an early deep and long barrel that was easily heading north of a seven until the lip clipped her on the exit. It was clear Saffi was going to fight tooth and nail and that’s what she did throughout the entire heat – sending fans in New Zealand into rapture as she weaved through some heavy water.
Up against a hard-charging Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), and the youngest surfer in the field: Siqi Yang, of China, Saffi worked her way into second and went looking for the bigger sets. She needed a 9.10 to skip the elimination round, but signalled she’ll be a tough cutomer when she meets Yolanda Hopkins in Round 2 tomorrow.
One of the big heats in the women’s draw was the Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Molly Picklum (AUS) and Caitlin Simmers (USA) match-up with Caitlin taking the win. Other standouts in the women’s included defending Olympic Champion Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks – who achieved the highest heat total with a 17.93, and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy.
In the last heat of the day, Carissa earned a 9.00 ride and 16.50 heat total to cap wins across the board for the United States.
“I can’t wait to go back and relish in today and the success that everybody had, because it was truly pretty special,” Carissa said. “I feel like we’ve been the good vibe tribe. Everybody’s just been really supportive and encouraging of each other. It was really cool, last night Griffin [Colapinto] kind of prompted an appreciation and intention for today and it was just nice to talk about our feelings and be sensitive and talk about just how grateful we all are to be here, which I think really set the mood for a fantastic day for all of us.”
Twenty-one nations were represented today across the 24 women and 24 men in the draw. Six of those nations had their first showing in Olympic Surfing history; Canada, China, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Spain.
A lift in the swell will be welcomed by athletes tomorrow with Saffi scheduled to surf at 8am (NZST) and Billy in the last heat of the second round at 2pm.Bring it on …
Women’s surfing heat draw for Paris 2024: Round 2 (Elimination Round)
• Heat 1: Sol Aguirre (PER), Siqi Yang (CHN)
• Heat 2: Sarah Baum (RSA), Camila Kemp (GER)
• Heat 3: Matsuda Shino (JPN), Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
• Heat 4: Johanne Defay (FRA), Molly Picklum (AUS)
• Heat 5: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Candelaria Resano (NCA)
• Heat 6: Saffi Vette (NZL), Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 8am NZST
• Heat 7: Tainá Hinckel (BRA), Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN)
• Heat 8: Anat Lelior (ISR), Janire Etxabarri (ESP)
Men’s surfing heat draw for Paris 2024: Round 2 (Elimination Round)
• Heat 1: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
• Heat 2: Connor O’Leary (JPN), Tim Elter (GER)
• Heat 3: Jordy Smith (RSA), Rio Waida (INA)
• Heat 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA), Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
• Heat 5: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Bryan Perez (ESA)
• Heat 6: Alan Cleland (MAR), Andy Criere (ESP)
• Heat 7: Jack Robinson (AUS), Lucca Mesinas (PER)
• Heat 8: Billy Stairmand (NZL), Filipe Toledo (BRA) 2pm NZST
