Tahiti welcomed the Paris Olympics in low-key fashion on Tuesday, July 23, with the idyllic French Polynesian island letting its natural beauty and relaxed vibe set the tone for surfing's second Games appearance.
Tahiti, some 16,000 kilometers from Paris, is hosting the surfing events for the Paris Olympics because it is home to one of the world's greatest waves and because beaches in France are typically flat at this time of year.
Practice sessions are underway, with surfers getting allotted specific times to hone their skills when everyone else is kept out of the water, unlike the usual free-for-all at world tour events.
Much talk is about the surf forecast for the waiting period, which runs from July 27 until Aug. 5, with uncertainty around the conditions meaning competition could be wide open for those chasing Olympic glory.
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