While most of the spotlight and primetime coverage of the 2024 Paris Games focuses on Europe, surfing took center stage on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.
Nearly 10,000 miles away from the City of Love, located in the South Pacific Ocean, lies Teahupo'o. The small village town (population: 1,500) hosted Olympic surfing for the first time.
Known as the “wall of skulls,” this devastating wave is considered one of the heaviest in the world for its pure size, power, and collective injuries its reef can inflict.
ISA/Juani Gayol
Caroline Marks celebrates winning the Gold medal in Tahiti.
Forty-eight men and women traveled to this remote paradise representing their nations, needing to battle the elements in order to win an Olympic medal. Over a 10-day window of competition, waves were a modest 6-8 feet occasionally, while monster 30-footers showed up in the early rounds.
Caroline Marks (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) kept USA's "golden tradition" intact when it comes to women's surfing, capturing the gold medal as the surfing competition wrapped up at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The 22-year-old Marks, who now lives in San Clemente, Calif., won a nail-biter in the women's final over Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil. It marked the second straight Olympic gold in the sport for American surfers, after Carissa Moore's gold at Tokyo 2020.
“A feeling beyond words, such a special feeling” Marks said to NBC-TV. “It may not soak in for a while. I’ve never felt something like this before.
"I’m so honored to represent my country. This is beyond my wildest dreams to accomplish this, I’m really grateful.”
ISA/Pablo Jimenez
Caroline Marks wins her first Olympic gold medal.
Marks, the reigning WSL Finals champion, finished with a 10.50 to Weston-Webb's 10.33, a mere 0.17 points separating gold and silver. Earlier, Johanne Defay of France won the bronze medal match over Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica.
Kauli Vaast, the local hero from the end of the road in Teahupo’o, won the men's surfing gold, needing only two waves in the 30-minute final. The 22-year-old native scored a 17.67, besting Australia’s Jack Robinson (7.83), who took silver.
“I don’t really realize it, but I just made history,” Vaast said. “I can’t be prouder to represent Tahiti and France at home.”
Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey
Kauli Vaast emerges from a barrel ride in the Gold medal round.
With a majestic island community as a backdrop, there were unique and stark differences for surfers and their teammates competing in Paris. One being the Olympic village. In Tahiti, athletes stayed on a cruise ship holding over 200 people. A 45-minute commute by small boat taxied them to shore.
During the women's semifinal round a large humpback whale breached the ocean. Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil and Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica were a safe distance away while cameras caught the moment.
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina who created the first viral photo from these Games, earned the bronze medal, defeating Correa Alonso of Peru.
“Everyone’s watching and paying attention,” said Medina, who gained millions of social media followers after his iconic floating pose through the sky. “I think surfing wins.”
