TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti — Olympic surfers based in Tahiti missed out on the spectacle of the Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday, but might have trumped their Paris-based peers with their accommodation in a freighter-cum-cruise ship serving as a floating village for athletes.
With limited accommodation options in the small villages dotted around Tahiti’s southern coast, Paris 2024 decided to house most surfers in the unique-looking 413-foot Aranui 5, which is anchored in the lagoon about 6.2 miles from the venue of Teahupo’o.
“It’s my first time on a cruise ship, so yeah, it’s fun,” said New Zealand surfer Billy Stairmand.
“It’s awesome. We got nice rooms and it’s very comfortable. Got our own little space, we’ve got a gym, got everything you need so yeah, it’s a good vibe on the boat for sure,” Stairmand told Reuters.
Stairmand was bantering with South African surfers Jordy Smith and Matt McGillivray onboard as they watched their Olympic rugby sevens teams on do battle in Paris.
The ship usually accommodates 230 passengers and charges around $5,700 per person for a 12-day, 11-night cruise in a standard cabin to the Marquesas Islands, taking cargo along with paying passengers. If you want the presidential suite, that will set you back about $10,000 per person.
On board are 28 athletes from 19 delegations, each in a single room with a double bed — no one got the presidential suite. In a post on Instagram, Peru’s Sol Aguirre showcased her room complete with flat screen TV, flower garlands and a view to the jungle-clad mountains over the lagoon from her balcony.
Tenders take the surfers between the contest site and the Aranui, which means the great path, and bring in fresh food and other supplies from a nearby village.
“It’s a half an hour drive every morning but I guess that’s just what comes with the whole process of it all,” Stairmand said. “It’s cool. I love Tahiti, it’s very powerful place so it’s awesome to wake up here and kind of check the coastline every morning and feel refreshed and energised.”
Surfers said while missing the buzz of the Paris village and the opening ceremony and the lack of spectators was a shame, the unique location, perfect waves and chilled local vibes made up for it.
“Obviously it would have been cool to get some spectators. But at the same time we’re here for a job you know, we’re here to get medals and at times it probably could be distracting,” Stairmand said. “We’re in our little bubble and we’re doing everything we can to get those medals.”
Hawai‘i’s Carissa Moore is the defending women’s champion and John John Florence is back in the men’s field.
