The crystal-clear waves of Tahiti’s Olympic surfing beach may look like paradise from the comfort of your couch, but the drama beneath the surface of the Pacific is making this year’s surfing competition a lot more dangerous than you might think.
On the other side of the world, far from the action in Paris, Olympic surfers are living and competing in the village of Teahupo’o, which translates ominously as “the wall of skulls.” This wave is considered one of the heaviest (in surfer parlance, big, fast and dangerous) in the world, and for years, many of the world’s best surfers didn’t think the wave was even surfable. The combination of the powerful barrel wave and its proximity to a shallow, sharp reef can be deadly. Teahupo’o has claimed five lives, according to The Washington Post. And yours injured dozens of others.
When Olympic kayakers tackle rapids on a man-made course, they wear helmets and life jackets. Water polo players wear hearing protection. The most skilled dressage riders don a helmet for a ballet performance on a flat arena. But most surfers facing one of Mother Nature’s deadliest forces wear little more than a rash guard. What happens?
The rules defined by the International Surfing Association (ISA) does not require Olympic athletes to wear helmets, but the ISA has released a declaration recommending head protection ahead of this year’s exceptionally dangerous conditions in Paris. While falling into the water may not seem all that scary, the real danger at Teahupo’o comes from the reef. Just below the surfers in Tahiti — usually invisible on TV broadcasts — is a field of coral that can cause serious damage, especially if you hit it with the momentum of a 40-foot wave behind you.
Ultimately, the helmet issue is up to the athletes. And unfortunately, as a 2020 to study published in International Journal of Sociology of Sport study — aptly titled “‘Helmets Are Not Cool’: Surfers’ Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Protective Headgear” — many simply didn’t think it was necessary. According to the study, surfers believed that “uncomfortable” helmets would “hinder surfing performance.” [surfing]” and make them look “uncool” in a sport where aesthetics often matter. But as the researchers wrote, there is evidence to support that head protection can be vital to safety. The study notes that “head-related injuries comprise a considerable proportion of surfing injuries.” And head trauma can have serious short- and long-term consequences, including concussion, seizures, and dizziness — not to mention, as the study authors pointed out, the risk of drowning.
Since most surfers don’t wear safety gear during training, it’s natural to not want to change things up on one of the biggest days of their careers. However, the conditions at this year’s Games may force some athletes to reconsider. French surfer Johanne Defray crashed headfirst into the coral on her first training wave on July 28. She avoided a concussion but required four stitches, according to USA Today. She wore a helmet during competition on August 1st, and it’s probably safe to assume she’ll wear one for the rest of her time at Teahupo’o.