The women were charging on the official day 1 of the Paris 2024 surfing at Teahupo’o on Saturday and the crowds made sure they knew it was appreciated.
As Carissa Moore exited the Olympic venue after emphatically winning her heat, a trail of noise followed her. “We love you Carissa,” one young local girl yelled out as she squeezed her head through the fence of her family home.
The proud American wasn’t the only one to receive such attention and adoration. Almost every woman who left the venue after their first heat at the 2024 Olympic Games was greeted with cheers of support.
And rightly so. The woman dominated day one and proved yet again why they belong in the line-up.
That’s not to say the men didn’t deliver – but the women simply created an extra level of excitement and commanded respect of all the fans and media watching on from the shore.
This is significant given women have only been competing at this iconic wave of consequence since 2022. Had it not been for the Olympics, some of the 24 women in the competition probably still never would have ridden the mythical wave.
Take 15-year-old Siqi Yang of China. This week is her first time at Teahupo’o. The teen is riding one of the heaviest waves in the world – in her Olympic debut.
“Waves are super big but I like it. It’s super clean. The waves are so good and so beautiful,” she told the media.
The Chinese surfer seems fearless, even when she had a massive blow out in her heat and was helped by water safely to a jetski.
