PAPARA (Tahiti), July 27 — Tahiti welcomed the 2024 Olympic surfing event on Friday with blazing sunshine, songs and Polynesian culture honouring the sport’s ancient roots, a world away from the rain of the Games’ opening ceremony in Paris.

At a beachside park 40km from the surfing venue of Teahupo’o, surfers poured sand from their home beaches into a communal vessel, combining the different colours and textures to symbolise unity and respect for the ocean.