(Paris) The surfing events of the 2024 Olympic Games will take place on the Teahupo’o site, in Tahiti, but with a new project for a “more sober” judges’ tower, the Polynesian government announced on Friday, representatives of the State and organizers.
“In view of the study of the different scenarios and the priorities shared by the different stakeholders, the project of a new, more sober tower, significantly revised and reduced in size and weight was judged to be the best scenario,” they said. they announced in a joint press release.
The Teahupo’o site, known worldwide for its famous wave and its transparent waters, has for weeks been at the heart of tensions between the local government, the organizers of the Olympic Games and local residents.
The project to install a new aluminum judges’ tower to replace the old wooden tower, which no longer meets standards, continued to cause a stir. Environmental associations opposed the construction of this tower which, according to them, risked degrading the seabed and harming the biodiversity of the site.
The organizers therefore revised their copy with a lighter tower project in order to “limit environmental damage as much as possible”.
The tower will thus go from 14 to 9 tons and its surface area will be reduced by 50 m2 to return to the size of the old wooden tower.
The cable planned to supply electricity will be dismantled after the Games and the tower will no longer be connected to drinking water or wastewater, it is detailed in the press release.
Point of crystallization of tensions, the existing foundations which accommodate numerous corals will not be modified. The new foundations will be inserted in the intervals of the existing plots.
This lightweight tower will reduce the drilling depth and the use of a smaller barge “without risk of damage to the coral”.
Questioned Thursday evening, the president of Polynesia, who had for a time considered moving the tests to another site, warned that the decision taken was “obviously not going to please everyone”. “At some point you have to make a decision. This is also being responsible,” said Moetai Brotherson.
