Surfers enjoy first-ever floating Olympic village, staying in seaside suites in French Polynesia
Surfing made its debut at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed due to the pandemic, but this year the sport is already making waves with a first-of-its-kind floating Olympic village, where surfers will sleep at sea and wake up to stunning ocean views in French Polynesia for the 2024 Paris Games.
Social media has been abuzz with POV videos of athletes showing off everything from team gear from Nike, Ralph Lauren and Skims to room tours to test out the Olympic Village’s famous recyclable cardboard beds in Paris. But when it comes to accommodations for the ocean sporting event in French Polynesia, it seems like some of these athletes have already struck gold before they even hit Tahiti’s iconic waves at Teahupo’o.
One such video, made by new German Olympian Tim Elter, which showed his suite on the Aranui 5, the passenger and cargo ship that houses the surfing competitors, has racked up nearly 2 million views on TikTok.
“We’ve been asked a lot about the cardboard beds in the floating village in Tahiti,” Elter explains in the video, as he scans the panoramic view from his balcony overlooking the striking blue water and lush island before entering the room. “We don’t have cardboard beds. We actually have real aluminum bed frames that are strong and stable – so yeah, we’re in a better situation than the guys in Paris.”
The Aranui 5, a cargo cruise ship where some of the athletes competing in the surfing competition of the Paris 2024 Olympics will stay, is seen near Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Carlos Barria/Reuters
The Aranui 5 reflects Polynesian heritage throughout its interior and features 103 spacious staterooms, eight guest decks, an outdoor pool, spa, gym, restaurant and lounges, according to Aranui CruisesThe custom-built vessel is anchored less than 45 minutes from the big wave competition site of Teahupo’o, where surfing events will begin on Saturday, July 27.
General view of the Aranui 5 cruise ship which will host some of the athletes competing in Olympic surfing during the competition window of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 25, 2024 in Teahupo’o, French Polynesia.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Saffi Vette, 22, of Team New Zealand, shared another video of the ship on Tick Tockwith Michael Jackson on board as she and the Kiwi team arrived at the floating Olympic village by dinghy.
The Aranui 5, a cargo cruise ship hosting some of the athletes competing in the surfing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is seen near Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, July 25, 2024.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
“POV: The German team welcomes you to the Olympic Village,” she wrote in a text superimposed on the video.
In a follow-up selfie video Taken from her balcony, which has so far garnered 7.4 million views, Vette and her fellow Olympians are seen laughing and dancing to Gotye’s hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
“The vibes are through the roof here in our floating Olympic Village,” she captioned the post with a laughing face and heart emoji.
His New Zealand teammate Billy Stairmand, meanwhile, shared a tour of the ship offering a traditional Polynesian welcome and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.
Teams from the United States, Brazil and Australia all opted not to stay on the ship, instead housing their surfers in houses in Tahiti, closer to the end of the route.
