TIUPOO, French Polynesia (AP) — In Tiupoo, the sea is at the heart of village life.
At sunrise, boats rock in the lagoons of southern Tahiti before fishermen begin their day. Many people set out early with rods and spears to catch the fish gliding among the coral. This is fresh food for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Tahitian-born surfer Kauri Vaast rides a wave in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Sunday, January 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
In the afternoon, freshly caught fat tuna arrive on land. The coast is also more vibrant now. Children surf and play in the turquoise waters, families rest on the beach where the sea and river meet, and only one snack bar is open to serve fish lunches.
But it’s Teahupo’o’s amazing waves that grab most people’s attention. An impressively high wall of water forms when the ocean crosses a large and very shallow coral reef, smashing into a perfect cylinder for surfers to glide over.
A child touches a freshly caught albacore tuna on Thursday, January 11, 2024 in Vailao, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A woman shelters from the sun as she watches surfers catch waves in Vailao, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Te Aupoo may attract surfers from all over the world for its powerful waves, but there are many other locations around the world that are hotspots for surfers and other athletes seeking natural, perfect conditions. Unlike the destination, local village life remains largely untouched.
Only one road leads to Te Aupoo’s beach, and the black sand coast is surrounded by lush volcanic mountains. Tuna is being sold on the roadside, and people are playing music nearby. Locals sit in the shallows and have a drink after work with friends. Surfers pass by with their boards under their arms, still glistening from the water.
Residents sit by the Te Aupoo wave sculpture at the end of the road in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Saturday, January 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Fischer Gerald Orentz prepares to go out in Vailao, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Despite hundreds of people flocking to the town that will host the 2024 Olympic surfing competition, threatening the livelihoods of around 1,500 locals, many locals in Tahiti cherish and want to protect it. This is what life is like.
For the locals of Te Aupo, their waves, their fame and their way of life have always coexisted. Their hope is that it will continue long after the crowds gather and the hustle and bustle of the Olympics fades.
Friends drink together after work in Taiarapu West, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
On Thursday, January 11, 2024, an advertisement featuring Te Aup’o waves covers the walls of the only snack bar in the village of T’aup’o on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A dog sits on coral in the lagoon in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A tuna is hung for sale on the side of a road in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Surfers wait for the perfect wave in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Saturday, January 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Surfers gather in the water as waves crash against a coral reef in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Surfers paddle on the waves in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Sunday, January 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A silhouette of a surfer is seen in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Sunday, January 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Nike Vaast spearfishes by the water’s edge on a coral reef in Vailao, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Locals hang out at a bus stop at the end of the road in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A man walks on a beach during a rainstorm in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Fisherman Gerald Orentz wraps bait around a rock to catch tuna in Vailao, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
“Private Property” etched on a broken surfboard in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Monday, January 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A group plays music together on the side of a road in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Children play pool at a snack bar in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A couple sells bags of freshly caught tuna on the side of the road in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A phone booth at the end of a road in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Monday, January 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A surfer walks on the beach in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Monday, January 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
A man burns fallen leaves on a beach in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Friday, Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Boats parked in the lagoon at sunrise on Thursday, January 11, 2024, in Te Aupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
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