Peva Levy said he felt a powerful, natural energy known as 바카라mana바카라 when he surfed Teahupo'o's waves on a piece of plywood for the first time, rushing down a crumbling white surf in front of an untouched volcanic beach several years before the steady streams of surfers started arriving when the village got its first asphalt road over fifty years ago. (More Sports News)
바카라It was a secret spot,바카라 the surfer and Tahitian native remembered, as he stood on the pristine beaches of Teahupo'o on the island's south side, waves crashing off in the distance. 바카라But it was not a secret spot for a long time.바카라
Teahupo'o has since achieved world renown among surfers 바카라 the roaring wave garnered a reputation for its ferocious power 바카라 and will be home to the 2024 Paris Olympics surfing competition, scheduled from July 27 to Aug. 4.
The island in French Polynesia is an overseas territory of the European nation. The decision to host part of the Games here has thrust unprecedented challenges onto a small community that has long cherished and strives to protect a way of life more closely connected to wild lands and crystal-clear ocean than the fame promised by an Olympic stage. And while organizers are trying to adjust their plans to conserve the local environment, ensuring that the village of Teahupo'o stays a village is proving to be a struggle for locals.
The original proposed scale of the Olympic site 바카라 which called for new roads, housing units and even an aluminum judging tower that required drilling into the reef 바카라 caused a significant local backlash. Environmental and surf communities banded together to protect Teahupo'o's culture, its corals and its marine life.
바카라It was too much for us, a big change. And it was just for, like, one week바카라 of competition, Levy said, who's also a member of the local environmental organization Vai Ara O Teahupo'o.
Though it's known throughout the surfing world, there is not one surf shop in Teahupo'o, with the town forgoing most of the development that's usually a staple at popular surf destinations. At the end of the village's road lies its sole snack bar which is only open for lunch and serves fish caught that morning. Kids spend the afternoon surfing as families watch from the black sand beaches. At night, the distant roar of waves barreling down onto the reef lulls the town to sleep.
바카라We loved this place because it was still wild, there were not many people over here. There was a lot of fish all around, and that good mana,바카라 Levy said.
In response to criticism, now 98% of Olympic housing will be within the homes of locals, with athletes accommodated on a cruise ship anchored nearby. The size of the judging tower has been scaled back and new infrastructure plans are being drawn up to minimize the need for new construction.
But concerns remain: Environmentalists and local fishers fear that drilling into the coral reef could attract ciguatera, a microscopic algae that infects fish and makes people sick if eaten, and many sustain themselves by what they catch in the ocean.
Mormon Maitei, 22, makes a living from spearfishing in the lagoons, feeding his family and selling what he has left over. 바카라The lagoon is our refrigerator, it's where we get our dinner from,바카라 he said.
The sought-after shape of the waves could be affected, too, islanders say, if the reef were to fissure and lose the shape that the waves rely on to form.
바카라If it does crack and break off, there will be no more wave over here, it will be finished for us,바카라 said Levy.
In December, local fears were confirmed when a barge razed sections of coral on its way to the construction site on the reef. A video of the damage spread on social media, provoking an outcry.
Cindy Otcenasek, the president of Via Ara o Teahupo'o, called the destruction deeply hurtful. 바카라In Polynesian culture, gods are present everywhere, in the coral, in the ocean,바카라 she said. 바카라The ocean is considered to be the most sacred temple.바카라
바카라The fish live around the corals so if we break a coral, we break a home,바카라 she said.
Olympic organizers expressed their concern over the incident.
바카라It was awful for us,바카라 said Barbara Martins-Nio, a senior event manager for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organization Committee. 바카라Tahitians have this special relationship with nature, with their lands, and it was like a bomb for us.바카라
Martins-Nio said that their interactions with local groups are now improving, and the organizing team has taken a step back on several issues and are better involving local groups so that construction work is fully transparent.
Despite the fears, some on the island still see the Games as an opportunity. Much of the local population is in favour of the Games, the economic benefits it could bring and the standing it will give their little corner of French Polynesia.
Born and raised in Teahupo'o, Gregory Parker's morning routine consists of watching the waves crash along the horizon from his beachfront bungalow while smoking a cigarette. But while the Games are in town, he's willing to sacrifice that for a bit of spare cash by renting it out.
바카라I will try to live at my daughter's house during the Games. If she also rents out her house, I have a tent,바카라 Parker said. 바카라It's not hard for two weeks, and given all the money I will make, it's worth it.바카라
