in Tahiti, a judges’ tower lightened in the face of controversy – Libération

The surfing events for the 2024 Olympics will take place at the legendary Teahupo’o site. However, ambitions for the judges’ tower have been scaled back.

What to quell the controversy? The surfing events for the 2024 Olympics will take place on the Teahupo’o site, in Tahiti, but with a new project for a “more sober” judges’ tower, the Polynesian government, representatives of the State and organizers. “In view of the study of the different scenarios and the priorities shared by the different stakeholders, the project of a new, more sober tower, significantly revised and reduced in size and weight was judged to be the best scenario,” they said. they announced in a joint press release.

The Teahupo’o site, known worldwide for its famous wave and its transparent waters, has for weeks been at the heart of tensions between the local government, the organizers of the Olympic Games and local residents. The project to install a new aluminum judges’ tower to replace the old wooden tower which is no longer up to standard was constantly causing a stir. Environmental associations opposed the construction of this tower which, according to them, risked degrading the seabed and harming the biodiversity of the site.

Foundations inserted into existing plots

The organizers therefore revised their copy with a lighter tower project in order to “limit environmental damage as much as possible”. The tower will thus go from 14 to 9 tonnes and its surface area will be reduced by 50 m² to return to the size of the old wooden tower. The cable planned to supply electricity will be dismantled after the Games and the tower will no longer be connected to drinking water or wastewater, it is detailed in the press release.

Point of crystallization of tensions: the existing foundations which support numerous corals will not be modified. The new foundations will be inserted in the intervals of the existing plots. This lighter tower should also make it possible to reduce the drilling depth and the use of a smaller barge “without risk of damage to the coral”, according to elected officials, the State and the organizers.

Questioned Thursday evening, the president of Polynesia, who had for a time considered moving the tests to another site, warned that the decision taken was “obviously not going to please everyone”. “At some point you have to make a decision. That’s also being responsible,” said Moetai Brotherson.