By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk
As French Polynesia’s Olympic surfing competition began this weekend, it will be the only event to host athletes in a floating hotel.
The accommodation is provided by the luxury French Polynesia ship Aranui 5 for the duration of the surfing competition being held on the iconic site of Teahupo’o on July 27-30.
What is now the Paris Olympics’ only floating hotel and Olympic village usually carries passengers and freight to outlying Pacific islands.
The choice for a floating Olympic village was made because, in this part of Tahiti, there was no adequate facility located close enough to the competition site.
The 28 international competitors and their delegations have arrived and are settled on board the Aranui 5.
Onboard they are being treated to French and Polynesian cuisine, as well as local Polynesian dances every night.
The favourites in the competition are also home-grown — in the female competition, Vahine Fierro, who made history in May to win the Tahiti leg of the World Surfing League’s competition, has been surfing on the Teahupo’o wave since she was 15.
Kauli Vast, in the men’s event, also grew up on the world-renowned site.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
