Epic Surf Photo 2024 Olympics
For even the most casual followers of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, chances are that by now you’ve seen what has become the most iconic surf photo of the last decade. We’ve put together a few awesome surfing facts surrounding the photo’s taking to better help you understand what you are looking at.
Let’s start by giving credit where it’s due. The viral photo was taken by John Callahan, a well-known sports and surf photographer. John Callahan is acclaimed for his ability to capture the raw energy and artistry of surfing. But grabbing a good shot of a cool activity isn’t what makes a career photographer. In the opinion of the peeps at Calibunga, there is a distinction between the hobbyist and the real deal that goes deeper than just a paycheck and a lucky break. In surfing photography, having good taste and a strong sense of storytelling is essential to adding relatability to the sport. John has it in spades and, in my opinion, has spent his lifetime refining this skill set.
The surfer in the photo is #WSL member #GabrielMedina from #Brazil. Medina is a two-time World Surf League Champion and one of the most recognized figures in professional surfing—Medina’s one of the fastest-moving success stories of all the surfers born outside of the momentum generation.
Why is the Paris Olympics of surfing held in Tahiti? Teahupo'o is located in Tahiti, French Polynesia, a territory long inhabited and saturated with French culture and history, and is renowned for its extremely powerful and heavy waves, often regarded as some of the most challenging and dangerous waves in the world. The waves break over a shallow coral reef, which creates the dramatic, hollow, and barreling waves that surfers dream of riding.
Teahupo'o is part of French Polynesia, a collection of over 100 islands in the South Pacific that became a French protectorate in the 19th century. French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France, granting it the unique status and allowing it to be part of France’s territory.
Probably the most baffling question… How do you catch air on a surfboard? It’s called an airial, aka an AIR. It’s hard, because of two factors. The wave has to be just the right shape at the right spot, and you have to hit that spot in a totally specific way.
To perform an aerial, a surfer rides up the face of the wave with speed, approaches the lip, and uses the momentum and the wave's force to launch off the lip into the air. Key techniques include:
Speed: Generating enough speed by pumping the surfboard up and down the face of the wave.
Lip Approach: Hitting the wave's lip at the right angle to get lift.
Body Positioning: Using the body's center of gravity and shifting weight to guide the surfboard into the air.
Landing: Preparing for a smooth re-entry by adjusting the board's angle and bracing for impact on the wave's surface.
