by Peva Levy, often referred to as the “grandfather” of Teahupo’o, has seen his hometown transform from a remote fishing village to a surfing mecca in recent years. Levy was a child of the sea. He grew up swimming and fishing and was one of the first to surf the “secret” wave outside the reef, a dangerous and exciting barrel known only to locals. Levy could not have known that the wave would attract the world’s greatest surfers and, eventually, the Olympics.
“When someone says ‘Teahupo’o’ these days, the first thing everyone thinks of is the wave, because it’s such a mythical place now,” says Levy, in his hand-built home above the mill.
Right outside its front gate things have changed recently. Roadworks block parts of the main road, as workers fill potholes and smooth the asphalt ahead of July 27, when Teahupo’o, in Tahiti, French Polynesia, will be unveiled to the world as the host of an Olympic surfing event Paris 2024.
“It was so quiet and so good here,” says Levy, who is also a marine biologist and a member of the environmental association Vai Ara O Teahupo’o. “Now, everything has changed.”
Despite the construction sites and increasing number of tourists, Teahupo’o retains its charm. People smile and greet each other. There are no hotels – instead, visitors stay in family-run guesthouses or local homestays. Life is centered on the ocean. The black sand beach at the end of the village road is usually full of children riding the small waves. Spearfishers emerge from the lagoon in the morning and late afternoon to catch.
Heimiri Afo, a 38-year-old firefighter and mother of five, summarizes life in the village. “We live simply, and the ocean is everything to us,” she says, watching her family play on the beach. “The food we eat every day comes from the sea.”
She suggests out to the reef: “We grew up here on that wave and we’ve always admired it.”
Like many people, Afo is happy with some of the new infrastructure being built but is concerned about whether the pros of hosting the Games outweigh the cons.
Léon Estall, 33, a professional fisherman, cannot see the economic benefits for the village. “It’s not the local population that is making a lot of money here,” he says, working his side job selling coconuts to tourists on the side of the road. “Unfortunately, the money is going elsewhere. We’re a little heartbroken about that.”
Many people will be coming into this village … It will change us. We won’t be what we were before and that’s a shame
Anne, 17
While the villagers may not see a big change in income as a result of the Games, many rely on the money they bring in to rent out their properties to tourists and surfers to provide for their families. Since the announcement of the Olympics, there has been an increase in the number of new homes being built, and the number of places available to rent to visitors.
Rairoa Parker manages the Havae Lodge in Teahupo’o, which he opened last October. He loves meeting people from all over the world through the lodge, a local-style family home on the beach.
He says business is doing well, and while he is not against the Games, he disagrees with the way some of the infrastructure projects have been handled and is concerned about the long-term consequences.
One example is the Olympic control centre, a backstage area that will handle logistics during the Games. The area, now owned by the government, covers almost two hectares of land, which has been cleared, filled with rocks and covered with large temporary tents.
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“There used to be a field of taro and sweet potatoes, which provided food for all the schools in this area,” says Parker. “But the government prefers to stop the taro and put an Olympic village in it.”
What Parker and others want to know is what will happen to areas like this once the Games are over, because the land will not be able to be used to grow crops. Some are hoping for a skate park or children’s playground, but the local government has not made any announcement.
The most controversial project, the 500m Pacific franc (£3.5m) judges tower, is now in the lagoon. Opposition to the tower was strong internationally and in Teahupo’o itself, due to the short- and long-term environmental impacts of the construction – and some opinions remain.
Tahitian surfing star Michel Bourez competed in his sport at the 2020 Olympics and, despite some of his friends in Teahupo’o campaigning against the tower, is sanguine about the island’s latest addition .
“As we say in French, you can’t make an omelette without breaking the eggs. At the end of the day, I feel the government did the right thing to go ahead with the tower,” he says.
On the beach in front of the tower, sitting with her friends, 17-year-old Anaihe says she recognizes the privilege of hosting the Olympics but is also concerned about the long-term impact. “A lot of people will be coming into this little village and I think after they leave, they will leave their mark. It will change us. We won’t be what we were before and for me, that’s a shame.”
Levy expressed concern. “Teahupo’o has strong tea motto (natural energy). When you come here, you feel it. If you come, you must respect it, respect the people, and respect nature. Respect – that’s what we ask for.”
