World Champions Eye Tahiti Titles Ahead of 2024 Olympics
This year’s event will see five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) make one of her only competitive appearances of 2024 as she prepares for her second Olympics and a potential a second Gold Medal. Moore is known for her prowess in heavy water waves. In this event, Moore has yet to advance past the Quarterfinals. As she puts on the jersey for the first time since January, Moore will be a competitor to watch. She will be up against Johanne Defay (FRA) and Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) in Heat 3 of the Opening Round.
“To get the wildcard into the Shiseido Tahiti Pro is seriously such a gift,” Moore said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for me to dust off the cobwebs and get back into competitive mode before the Olympics. I’m here to learn and to push myself and hopefully get comfortable and feel good going into that event. Teahupo’o is seriously one of the most terrifying waves I’ve ever surfed. It takes a lot of skill and a lot of commitment, and if you’re not present, you can eat it and could get hurt, or you could get the wave of your life. It’s beautiful, and it’s a beast. It would mean a lot to have it all fully in place and get a big result here. It would give me a lot of confidence going into the Olympics.”
Two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) is a standout at this location in all conditions but has yet to find a breakthrough win in nearly a decade of competing here. Florence recently celebrated a major milestone in his life with the birth of his first child, so a win in Tahiti would mean that much more to him and his young family.
“Tahiti is special; when you come here, you feel it,” Florence said. “It’s a special place, it’s mellow, it’s powerful, the people here love their place. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, with a perfect wave, clear water, and the valley you look back at. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and it’s one of my favorite places. I think having the Olympic surfing here in Tahiti will really change the way people view surfing, especially if it’s big. If it’s big and you don’t know surfing, you’re still going to look at it and be amazed.” 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), a man with more success than anyone at Teahupo’o, will join the draw as a wildcard in this year's event. With five wins from seven Finals, Slater has a unique relationship with the wave. In a time where he has made mention of slowing down his competitive career, Slater is aiming for a fairytale end to what’s been a historic run at the ‘End of the Road’. |
