Tahiti’s youth surf culture gets a boost as island hosts the Paris Olympics

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — As the heavy, barrel-shaped waves of Teahupo’o, Tahiti — where the Paris Olympics surfing competition is being held — crashed in the distance, another, smaller surf session was underway just off the shore.

“Go, go, go!” one lanky teenager with sun-bleached hair yelled in French to another, sitting on their surfboards in the ocean. “Allez, allez!” Seconds later, whoops and whistles of approval from other young surfers in the water and parents sitting on the beach filled the air, as 14-year-old French Polynesian surfer Kiara Goold cruised along a 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) wave, smiling.

It’s a sight locals and visitors to Tahiti would not have been able to see until recently, 38-year-old French Polynesian professional surfer Michel Bourez said. “Back in the day, there were no kids surfing,” said Bourez, who first hopped on a board as a teenager.