In a first, Paris Olympics will be hosting surfing competitions 10,000 miles away from Paris, in Teahupo’o, a village outside the capital of French Polynesia. The surfing competition, which will take place between July 27 and July 30, 2024, will see participation from 48 athletes from 20 countries. Teahupo’o in Tahiti is a world-famous surf break off the coast of a small village commonly known as ‘The End of the Road’, as it rests where the main paved road on the island stops and turns into a rugged dirt path.
The Paris Olympic Committee requires all athletes to be housed within 45 minutes of their competition venue. Teahupo’o, being a small village, did not have many viable options to house the surfers. The committee then decided to employ a cruise ship, Aranui 5, to accommodate the athletes, making Aranui 5 the first floating Olympic village.
Launched in 2015, the Aranui 5 is a dual-purpose passenger/freighter ship that sails from Tahiti to the Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Society Islands in French Polynesia on a 12-day all-inclusive cruise. The ship offers all the comforts of a cruise liner and also operates as a supply ship.
Aranui 5 is a 254-guest vessel with 103 cabins on board along with a host of facilities. Designed to reflect the Polynesian heritage of her owners and crew, the ship has eight different guest decks; a restaurant; one lounge; two conference rooms, where guest lecturers will offer presentations on various topics related to the Marquesas; three bars, including the Sky Bar with sweeping panoramic views; an outdoor swimming pool; a boutique; a spa; a gym; and the first tattoo studio at sea.
As opposed to the athletes in Paris who are sharing rooms, the Olympians in Tahiti will each be staying in their own private room with a regular bed, a balcony, and an ocean view.
References:
https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-surfers-stoked-on-floating-tahitian-athlete-village
https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/surfers-board-one-kind-olympic-village-tahiti
https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/paris-olympic-village-surfers-boat–teahupoo-tahiti-video
