‘Twas the Night Before the Olympics

‘Twas the night before the Olympics, when all through Teahupo’o

All the surfers were stirring, eagerly awaiting their cue.

Friday, July 26th: Surfing’s Olympic window opens tomorrow, and with the swell forecast looking best right at the kickoff, the event is almost certainly going to begin on Day One.

Over in France, the official hub for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony featured National Olympic Committees floating down the Seine, smiling and waving; a performance from Lady Gaga; and Snoop Dogg carrying the Olympic torch to its final stop.

In Tahiti, there were no such theatrics; sadly, no Snoop Mother***ing D-O-double-G.

The day began quiet, as it usually does here in the sleepy village of Teahupo’o, with the roosters crooning at dawn, the stray dogs hunting for fish in the shallows, the ever-present army boats patrolling the reef…and yet, a looming sense of anxious anticipation for the event to start.

Since surfing is so new in the Olympic world, nobody’s really sure as to how it will all play out. It’s unlike any surf contest in history, aside from the sport’s Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 2021. This time, though, it’s at one of the world’s heaviest waves, the non-surfing world is going to get its first glimpse at the true dangers of the sport, and from a media perspective, the militant security detail makes for an obscure and intimidating status of what can and can’t be covered.

But the one thing that is for certain, is that there will be waves for opening day.

“It is a contest in the ocean and you never know what’s going to happen,” John John Florence told SURFER in an exclusive interview. “But it looks like we’re going to have fun waves.”

Related: John John Florence Talks Olympic Gold Ambitions (Exclusive Interview)

Rolling up to the black sand point turned impromptu loading dock, where the armada of boats and jet skis shuttle the surfers and media members out to the wave, Israel’s one and only surfer in the Olympics, Anat Lelior, was first in line for the practice sessions on the eve of opening day.

“When it’s big,” Anat said, “of course it’s scary. I feel good, though. Nervous, excited, happy. I feel like we’re getting pretty lucky with the forecast, and it’s looking like it’s on for opening day of the window. I’ve been happy with my performance in the practice sessions. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable – [laughs] – but maybe a little less scared. I’m just looking forward to getting barreled, and if not, I’ll be happy either way.”

As I waited for my boat to swoop me up, and take me out to the lineup, I recognized a familiar face – one of the security personnel who had scolded me earlier for pulling out a camera. I decided to make peace, and ask him for an interview. Surprisingly, he obliged. He was running around like a madman, speaking into two different walkie-talkies and a cellphone, and looking more stressed than any of the surfers who are about to compete in the event of their lives.

“Coordinating everything is quite complicated, but we prepared for that,” said Keanui Pageau, Technical Officials Coordinator. “We have to adapt every day to be able to make the situation as easy as possible for the athletes and the press. We are ready for tomorrow, and we’ve been working on this for four years. I’ll admit it; it’s stressful. But this is an historic event. We’re here in Tahiti, so far away from Paris, and we want it to be the best it can possibly be.”

Related: Olympic Surfing 101: Everything to Know Before Paris 2024

In the water, the practice sessions were underway with heavy sideshore winds, which actually, because the wave bends so much, were making the faces steep and offshore.

After finishing his session, I yelled to Griffin Colapinto from my boat.

Me: “How we feeling!?”

Griff: “Solid!”

Me: “Nervous at all?”

Griff: “Not at all! Just psyching!”

Back on land, more surfers were gathering for their free surfs, more organized chaos from the operations team, more skeptical looks from the (camera) police. I rambled around, wondering what I could get away with, and how not to get kicked out of the Olympics before the contest even began. And then I ran into Tim McKenna, longtime Teahupo’o photographer for his take.

“We’re looking at four-to-six feet for tomorrow,” Tim explained. “There could be some wind, but even with that, there will still be some nice waves and sunny weather. I think it’s going to be good conditions to start off the event and get things rolling. And tubes. It’s Teahupo’o; there’s going to be tubes. Further out, there’s a bit more wind, but there’s certainly potential.”

Related: Here’s Why America’s Surf Team Are Gold Medal Favorites in the Olympics (Photos)

Speaking of the vibe, the day-before atmosphere on the ground, Tim continued:

“I walked through the village this morning, and it was eerie. Nobody was around. It was like the calm before the storm. But tomorrow is going to be packed. Absolutely packed.”

With that, it was time to get out of the sun, and get back to work. Instead of taking the shuttle bus – which runs every half hour or so – I decided to walk the mile back to SURFER’s homestay at Lorenzo Avventi’s pad. At Teahupo’o, you never know who you’ll run into on the street.

Passing by the Team USA compound, John John peered out from behind the gate. Caity Simmers, on the other side of the street (the boys are on one side, the girls on the other), shouted:

“Is lunch ready?”

To which, John replied: “Yep! It’s all set up. C’mon over.”

Related: How to Watch Surfing in the Paris 2024 Olympics

It all felt just like a typical day in paradise. But tomorrow, it’s on.