At Tahiti's Olympic surfing venue, Polynesians fight for a reef and a way of life

Manakei waits for a wave as he surfs at a local beach in Papara, Tahiti, July 24, 2024. The Polynesian Triangle encompasses some 10 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, with its people, who trace their lineage back to a spiritual homeland, closely connected by language, culture and their intimate knowledge of the moana, the ocean. "Only kings were able to surf here before," said local Tereva David, 35. "For us, surfing is sacred, it's the culture - like dancing, like canoe paddling, like singing, like making food for everybody." REUTERS/Carlos Barria

TEAHUPO'O, Tahiti (Reuters) - On the remote south coast of Tahiti, its Jurassic peaks and azure lagoon accessible only by boat, Patrick Rochette is explaining how centuries-old Polynesian conservation traditions are being revived to protect this unique environment.

Mingled with gruesome tales of the island's history of tribal wars and the roots of wave-riding, it's a compelling account that resonates with the school children that the Tahitian elder has brought to this idyllic spot close to the Olympic surfing venue of Teahupo'o.