The International Surfing Association says it opposes the construction of a controversial new judges' tower for the 2024 Olympics event in Tahiti.
Local residents and environmentalists fear it could permanently damage the coral reef.
The site is home to one of the world’s most famous surf breaks. For two decades, a wooden judges’ tower has been used for professional competitions.
Many protesters would like to see the old tower used for the 2024 Olympics.
More than 200,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the building of a new tower. Hawaiʻi’s Carissa Moore, who won the first women’s Olympic gold medal in surfing, added her support to stop the construction, along with other professional surfers.
But Olympic organizers and government officials on the French Polynesian island worry the old tower could pose a safety risk. Construction began on the new tower earlier this month.
The Guardian reported the three-story building will be roughly the same size as the original wooden tower, with space for up to 31 people — just five more than the old one.
Current plans include drilling more than 130 holes in the reef, to a depth of more than 6 feet, for the concrete foundations.
Moetai Brotherson, the president of French Polynesia, insists the new tower is necessary due to safety concerns. He said that the time left until the Olympics is too short to consider other solutions.
