We’re on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympics with Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette on their way to Tahiti’s infamous Teahupo’o – the reef break at the end of the road. They’re our Kiwi hopes in a contest that will undoubtedly grab the world’s attention. Here’s what you need to know …
The Paris 2024 Olympics is the second time surfing has featured in the Games. The competition window is July 27 through to August 5th, 2024, with competition to be held at “The End of the Road” Teahupo’o in Tahiti. The Olympic event requires four days to complete. 48 surfers will take part – 24 women and 24 men representing 21 different nations.
New Zealand has two qualified athletes: Billy Stairmand (who competed at the Tokyo Olympics) and Gisborne’s Saffi Vette. Both athletes are entering the arena in Tahiti on the back of a superb training run into the Games. That preparation has included time surfing the infamous wave that strikes fear into the hearts and minds of the world’s very best surfers. It’s a wave that’s guaranteed to capture the world’s imagination … and way better than anything you might find in the Seine.
Teahupo’o presents one of the biggest challenges in surfing set amongst a backdrop of dramatic mountain peaks and palm trees that frame the deep blue, crystal clear water. No matter how you look at it, Teahupo’o is stunningly beautiful. And frightening.
The fresh water coming from the mountains flows into the ocean and carves a section of the coral barrier, which has created the reef pass. When large swells roll onto the reef it compresses and accelerates the wave energy, causing the increase in the height and speed of each wave.
The village of Teahupo’o is located where the paved roads end and dirt tracks begin, leading to it being historically designated as ‘The End of the Road’. The word Teahupo’o itself is often translated as ‘wall of skulls’.
Prior to the opening of the event window, six training days are available for athletes to have exclusive use of the location (July 21 – 26, 2024). Additionally, on July 26, 2024, an official Opening Ceremony will take place in Tahiti featuring traditional dances and a presentation of the competing athletes within the opening in Paris.
The qualification process has resulted is an interesting lineup of surfers that will pit some of the best international surfers against underdogs and intimidating local wildcards. Saffi and Billy are placed smack, bang in underdog territory and if Billy’s performance in surfing’s Olympic debut in Japan is anything to go by, that’s going to play beautifully into their hands.
Some of the big hitters in the women’s sided of the draw include five-time World Champion and Tokyo 2020 Gold Medalist, Carissa Moore, the newly minted heavy-water chargers Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Molly Picklum (AUS), 2023 Tahiti Pro winner and 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks (USA), as well as 2024 Tahiti Pro champion and local favourite Vahine Fierro (FRA). Fierro was one of the first to qualify for Paris 2024 and her WSL victory just weeks ago bodes well in her campaign to win the host nation of France their first medal in surfing.
After announcing her departure from competitive surfing at the start of the year, Moore’s appearance is scheduled to be her last in the competition jersey. With all of her training focused on one goal, the 31-year-old is aiming to go out on top. The youngest surfer to qualify for the Olympics at the age of 14, and China’s first, Yang has very little trepidation when it comes to waves of consequence and is looking to make a major mark on surfing in the Olympic Games.
In the men’s three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) undoubtedly has the most to prove in Tahiti. The surfer with the best overall record at Teahupo’o, boasting the highest average wave score and heat-winning percentage, Medina has made the final six times out of the 10 World Surf League Championship Tour events he has surfed. He has won at Teahupo’o twice. Two-time World Champion John John Florence (USA) has an incredibly impressive Teahupo’o record of his own, while local Tahitian Kauli Vaast (FRA) has grown up a stone’s throw from Teahupo’o and is fiercely determined to proudly represent his home. One of the best barrel-riders the world has ever known, Jack Robinson (AUS), has similar ideas.
Yes, Billy and Saffi will have a few mountains to climb, but they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. That’s a good place to be.
Women’s surfing heat draw for Paris 2024
• Heat 1: Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Caroline Marks (USA), Sarah Baum (RSA)
• Heat 2: Sol Aguirre (PER), Janire Etxabarri (ESP), Vahine Fierro (FRA)
• Heat 3: Anat Lelior (ISR), Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN), Tyler Wright (AUS)
• Heat 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Molly Picklum (AUS), Caitlin Simmers (USA)
• Heat 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Candelaria Resano (NCA)
• Heat 6: Tainá Hinckel (BRA), Camila Kemp (GER), Luana Silva (BRA)
• Heat 7: Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), Siqi Yang (CHN), Saffi Vette (NZL)
• Heat 8: Carissa Moore (USA), Teresa Bonvalot (POR), Matsuda Shino (JPN)
Men’s surfing heat draw for Paris 2024
• Heat 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Tim Elter (GER), Jordy Smith (RSA)
• Heat 2: Joan Duru (FRA), Jack Robinson (AUS), Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
• Heat 3: Alonso Correa (PER), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
• Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Connor O’Leary (JPN), Bryan Perez (ESA)
• Heat 5: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Billy Stairmand (NZL), João Chianca (BRA)
• Heat 6: Andy Criere (ESP), John John Florence (USA), Alan Cleland (MAR)
• Heat 7: Kauli Vaast (FRA), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Griffin Colapinto (USA)
• Heat 8: Rio Waida (INA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Inaba Reo (JPN)
The surfing competition at Paris 2024 will start with eight heats for the first round, each featuring three athletes. Winners will pass to Round 3 and second and third positions to Round 2 where only the winner advances. From Round 3 onwards it will head-to-head heats. The heats may be anywhere from 25-40 minutes long – the duration to be decided based on conditions.
Surfing is scored on a wave-by-wave basis by an international panel of five judges, who are overseen by a single head judge. Each judge will deliver a wave’s score between 1-10, the highest and lowest numbers are then removed and the middle three averaged to deliver a final score. The two best waves per heat are counted to determine a surfer’s overall heat total. The surfer with the highest two-wave total at the end of the heat is the winner.
The emphasis on judges’ scores at Teahupo’o are almost entirely on the barrel. Judges are looking for commitment and degree of difficulty, accounting for the depth inside the barrel, as well as the length of time spent inside.
That may be of little consequence in the final wash – the forecast this far out has a smaller southwest swell peaking at 2m through the start of the waiting period with the possibility of a 3m peak at 15 seconds by August 1, then slowly fading through the remainder of the window. If that forecast holds true it will dramatically level the playing field, and, in our opinion, play into the hands of Billy and Saffi.
Bring it on …
– Additional Reporting ISA
