Paris 2024, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, kicked off to great fanfare over the weekend. One of the games this round isn’t based in Paris at all, however, mostly due to the area’s lack of gnarly swells. The surf competition, added to the Olympiad schedule in 2020, is taking place down in Teahupo’o, and all of the competitors were given luxury cruise ship accommodations for the proceedings. The Auanui 5, shown above, is anchored just offshore, and features 100 cabins and eight guest decks to fit up to 230 passengers. To keep the athletes in physical tip-top, it features a spa and a gym, the Associated Press reports:
“They have a wonderful location for the village, which is on a ship,” French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson told the Associated Press. “It’s unusual, but they seem to like it.”
Japanese surfer Kanoa Igarashi shared a video tour of the boat on Tik Tok, allowing the world a rare glimpse inside the floating hall of surfing excellence. Media is not allowed to board the boat, for the comfort of the athletes. Amenities onboard include a 24-hour dining hall, a play area with ping pong and foosball, a tattoo parlor and, of course, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with waterslide. Perhaps most importantly for the medal hopefuls traveling from all over the world, the beds on this boat aren’t the same cardboard anti-sex beds that competitors have been subjected to in Paris.
This cruise ship has been anchored near Teahupo’o in an effort to minimize the effects of the games on locals. The abnormally large crowds would have necessitated new buildings and extra road traffic could have quickly eroded the infrastructure of the island. Not all of the athletes are staying on the ship, as some national teams have rented houses closer to the competition area. Maybe they’re nervous about the numerous health issues associated with staying on cruise ships.