Surfing: without conflict, the controversial control tower in Tahiti was officially launched

In harmony and in a world-class event. With these two characteristics, the implementation of the new control tower in Teahupo’o, the headquarters of surfing in Paris 2024, was completed, whose construction had been completed in March, almost two months ahead of schedule, and had been one of the main friction axes during the last weeks of 2023.

The official ring in an international event took place in the Tahitian stage (SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro) of the World Surf League, ongoing from Wednesday, May 22 to Friday, May 31 and which functions as a general rehearsal two months before the Olympic competition. .

“We did things well, the tower was named in a traditional way and the situation here has calmed down,” described Max Wasna, president of the Tahitian Surf Federation, in reference to the incipient aluminum structure that replaced the historic wooden and It was accused of damaging the reefs and marine fauna of the peninsula, a premise supported by surfers, the local population and different associations, which came to paralyze the works.

“The coral suffered minimal damage,” said Tim McKenna, an Australian researcher at Teahupo’o. 15,700 kilometers from Paris, the two surfing competitions – men’s and women’s shortboard – will be held between July 27 and 30. It is the only discipline that does not have ticket sales to the general public.