Olympics-Drums and dance open Tahiti's Olympic surfing extravaganza

FILE PHOTO: A surfboard sculpture is pictured in Teahupo'o, the venue for the 2024 Olympic surfing competition, Tahiti, French Polynesia, July 23, 2024. REUTERS/Lincoln Feast/File Photo

PAPARA, Tahiti (Reuters) -Tahiti welcomed the 2024 Olympic surfing event on Friday with blazing sunshine, songs and Polynesian culture honouring the sport's ancient roots, a world away from the rain of the Games' opening ceremony in Paris.

At a beachside park 40 km from the surfing venue of Teahupo'o, surfers poured sand from their home beaches into a communal vessel, combining the different colours and textures to symbolise unity and respect for the ocean.