Big Aluminum to blame?
The Teahupoo judging tower business is a story that refuses to die. In case you need a brief refresher, Paris Olympic organizers decided that the surfing portion of the Games would be held at Teahupo’o, halfway around the world. Surfers immediately cheered save one (Filipe Toledo) though smiles soon turned upside down as the committee declared it would build a massive new aluminum judging tower on the reef.
Locals, angry, opposed the plan.
To prove how wonderful it would be, the French authorities drove a barge onto the reef.
More local rage.
Capitulating, organizers said they would build an aluminum tower in the same footprint of the existing one.
Now, the International Surfing Association, governing body for Olympic surfing, has shouted “Non!”
A wildly oppositional position by any stretch.
In a press release titled “The ISA will not support the construction of the new aluminum judges’ tower at Teahupo’o (Tahiti)” the ISA made clear that it does not support the construction of a new aluminum judges’ tower at Teahupo’o, which just so happens to be in Tahiti.
Wonderful, but how do you think the French powers that be will take this very public knock from a minor Olympic player not even two cycles in?
More importantly, how many times has the word “aluminum” been used over the past few months as it relates to the imbroglio?
Is this a Big Aluminum conspiracy?
More as the story develops.
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
Dear god ! Won’t someone think of the trees that would have to die to achieve this!
This is the French environmental Olympics.
They have thought of everything ( pmsl)
Go whole hog! Break the reef so they could turn the close-out right at the end of chopes into a mirror image of the left, then run it like a pool comp.
I sense some common sense. Not so common these days. Particularly around pro surfing.
ISA just trying to look good for when the WSL folds next year and they run their own pro comp at Teahupoo, probably with the now-pre-existing aluminium judging tower.
More questions than answers!
DDT > DDE > cesium 127> “interrupt a reef.org” Didn’t you have a sushi tank…?”
Given France history in Polynesia I think they can build whatever they want wherever they want than nuke the whole island as a test, oppress the local people , attack New Zealand, murder a couple of green peace activists and ignore any outrage.
Not like they haven’t done it before!
What about the electrolysis’s ?
Ya gotta think about those poor electrolysis’s…
Even better, wait till lightning hits it. That will be an awesome spectacle. Electrolysis for everyone.
I don’t need no stinking ISA .
Fuck surfing associations.
So sticky!
Yes n smelly
Tahitian tin foil tower
It’s high time we discuss the irregularities of the pronunciation of Aluminium. Sepp’s pronounce it wrong in my humble bogan opinion. 4 syllables vs 5. “A-Loo-min-um” vs “Al-a-mini-em”
Aluminum gate
Seems like a waste of a lot of well-fitted tinfoil hats.
problem solved …
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Throw a Hurley logo on it and I’m sold.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
That looks like a baby’s arm holding a red onion
this is what happens when you allow a bunch of spoiled non-athletes to compete in the olympics.
build the tower out of 100% carbon fiber, fiberglass and other petroleum based materials. they’ll be begging for aluminium.
‘The Teahupoo judging tower business is a dead horse that can still be beaten’
FIFY.
I’ll wait until it gets bloated, and take a punch or two.
I think the bigger debate is surrounding the pronunciation of “aluminum.”
Is it pronounced a-loo-min-im or a-lu-min-e-um?
That depends on where you are. Definitely aluminum for Seppos and Canucks, aluminium for the rest of the world.
Aloos or maybe Lumes might be easier. “Sal jumped over the new Lumes tower at Chopes.”
haha oh shoot – I didn’t see this when I made my comment! I’m all for the Aussie way – As in the King’s English way. Not the bastard ginger stepchild Yankee way.
Great minds and all of that
This story continues to be truly bizarre as the Atlantic coast of France has solid waves in late July and Aug so why not hold the event in Biarritz or breaks north of there? That way the surfers can go back in forth to the Olympic village via the TGV to enjoy all of the fun the village offers.
Please no.
Finally a governing body is saying let’s use a World class wave for the best Surfers in the World.
As much as I hate the Ranch comp, the Olympics should have only ever been in pools. Maybe with the exception of Hamilton 2036.
Moan moan “the Ranch sucks”
Moan moan “they’re using subpar waves for the best Surfers”
The Olympic committee “hey crazy idea here, let’s flag the traditional bums on beach concept and fly the best surfers to the tropics and throw them all on a boat together and let them battle it out at a A+++ wave ”
The Punters. What about the Ranch? Or maybe even like the 1980 World amateur’s in France?
Hahaha how about everyone shut the fuck and just watch Pip pull back and disgrace his country and forever ruin the legacy of the Brazilian Storm era. New footholds in the reef be dammed!
Xox
Exactly
Hamilton though! Four time Olympian and 2024 bronze medalist Billy Stairmand lights the Olympic flame by flicking a cigarette butt out the window of a lowered Hilux.
Agree on the world class wave but I have doubts about the IOC’s ability to put on proper surfing event. PLUS if the surfers miss out on the world class party scene* the Olympic Village will they be forever bitter?
*Free condoms, trading country pins with the opposite sex…
Most athletes would have two drinks and fall over!
Let’s be honest, All you need for a good surfing event is waves.