Tahiti's youth surf culture gets a boost as island hosts the Paris Olympics

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — As the heavy, barrel-shaped waves of Teahupo’o, Tahiti — where the Paris Olympics surfing competition is being held — crashed in the distance, another, smaller surf session was underway just off the shore.

“Go, go, go!” one lanky teenager with sun-bleached hair yelled in French to another, sitting on their surfboards in the ocean. “Allez, allez!”

Seconds later, whoops and whistles of approval from other young surfers in the water and parents sitting on the beach filled the air, as 14-year-old French Polynesian surfer Kiara Goold cruised along a 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) wave, smiling.

It's a sight locals and visitors to Tahiti would not have been able to see until recently, 38-year-old French Polynesian professional surfer Michel Bourez said.

“Back in the day, there were no kids surfing,” said Bourez, who first hopped on a board as a teenager.

While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent among younger generations began to develop across Tahiti. With two French Polynesian surfers included in the 2024 Olympics, the surfing community expects local interest in the sport to grow.

Locals said Bourez has been a steward in the development of local surfing talent and culture in recent years. Partly driven by the lack of resources he had when starting out and then finding success in his own career, Bourez said he began training talented young local surfers he spotted across the island's shores.

“Otherwise, all the knowledge that I gained during all these years will be gone — and for no reason," Bourez said. "We have to give back to the local community and surfers.”

Goold is one of the young local surfers Bourez has mentored. Growing up in French Polynesia, Goold said she has spent time on the ocean since before she could remember, but only got serious about surfing around age 8.

“I challenge myself by doing things that maybe I don't want to do,” she said. That means hitting the gym and surfing when the waves are really big. "I just try to train really hard.”

Goold said she feels it's paid off: she's traveled internationally to compete and won youth tournaments at home in French Polynesia.

But most days, she can be found with other young surfers along the shores of Tahiti, catching waves and playfully competing against each other.

“We keep pushing each other,” Goold said with a laugh. “We just hang out, and it’s super fun.”

The inclusion of two French Polynesian surfers — Vahiné Fierro and Kauli Vaast — in the Paris Olympics also has been a major boost for the promotion and development of local surfing, Bourez said.

“They've become kids' idols here," he said.

Fierro and Vaast know they have inspired young local surfers.

“This is the best thing in the world, because I was them a couple years ago," Vaast said after winning his second round heat. "We try to do our best, to give the best energy, the best personality for them. We try to be the best example possible.”

Vahine, who was the first Tahitian wild card to claim a victory during the World Surf League at Teahupo’o, said the shift in surfing culture for French Polynesian women has been especially noticeable.

“I’ve really seen the change, whether it’s out here at home, or on the beach breaks. There’s almost as many girls as men, and it’s really cool to see," Fierro said.

While Goold plans to have years of surfing and competition ahead of her, she said she already knows what she will say to the next generation of French Polynesian surfers who might come asking her for advice.

“I’m going to say, ‘Follow you dreams — the only thing you can do for now is work really hard and stay positive. Have fun.’”

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Tauirai Henriou Oopa, 10, surfs his home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Kelia Gallina, 11, surfs her home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Liam Sham Koua, 11, surfs his home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Liam Sham Koua, 11, surfs his home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Tauirai Henriou Oopa, 10, right, waits for a wave alongside Kiara Goold, 14, at their home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Kelia Gallina, 11, surfs her home shore break during a break in the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While Teahupo'o has been a coveted destination for surfers from around the world for decades, it's only in more recent years that local surf culture and talent has begun to develop across Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Donald Trump's fourth scheduled stop in eight days in Wisconsin is a sign of his increased attention as Republicans fret about the former president's ability to match the Democrats' enthusiasm and turnout machine.

“In the political chatter class, they’re worried," said Brandon Scholz, a retired Republican strategist and longtime political observer in Wisconsin who voted for Trump in 2020 but said he is not voting for Trump or Democratic nominee Kamala Harris this year. “I think Republicans are right to be concerned.”

Trump's latest rally was planned for 2 p.m. Central time Sunday in Juneau in Dodge County, which he won in 2020 with 65% of the vote. Jack Yuds, chairman of the county Republican Party, said support for Trump is stronger in his part of the state than it was in 2016 or 2020. “I can’t keep signs in,” Yuds said. “They want everything he’s got. If it says Trump on it, you can sell it.”

Wisconsin is perennially tight in presidential elections but has gone for the Republicans just once in the past 40 years, when Trump won the state in 2016. A win in November could make it impossible for Harris to take the White House.

Trump won in 2016 over Democrat Hillary Clinton by fewer than 23,000 votes and lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 by just under 21,000 votes.

On Tuesday, Trump made his first-ever visit to Dane County, home to the liberal capital city of Madison, in an effort to turn out the Republican vote even in the state's Democratic strongholds. Dane is Wisconsin’s second most-populous and fastest-growing county; Biden received more than 75% of the vote four years ago.

“To win statewide you’ve got to have a 72-county strategy,” former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, said at that event.

Trump’s campaign and outside groups supporting his candidacy have outspent Harris and her allies on advertising in Wisconsin, $35 million to $31 million, since she became a candidate on July 23, according to the media-tracking firm AdImpact.

Harris and outside groups supporting her candidacy had more advertising time reserved in Wisconsin from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5, more than $25 million compared with $20 million for Trump and his allies.

The Harris campaign has 50 offices across 43 counties with more than 250 staff in Wisconsin, said her spokesperson Timothy White. The Trump campaign said it has 40 offices in the state and dozens of staff.

Harris rallied supporters in Madison in September at an even that drew more than 10,000 people. On Thursday, she made an appeal to moderate and disgruntled conservatives by holding an event in Ripon, the birthplace of the Republican Party, along with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of Trump’s most prominent Republican antagonists.

Harris and Trump are focusing on Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the “blue wall” states that went for Trump in 2016 and flipped to Biden in the next election.

While Trump’s campaign is bullish on its chances in Pennsylvania as well as Sunbelt states, Wisconsin is seen as more of a challenge.

“Wisconsin, tough state,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, who worked on Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s winning reelection campaign in 2022.

“I mean, look, that’s going to be a very tight — very, very tight, all the way to the end. But where we are organizationally now, comparative to where we were organizationally four years ago, I mean, it’s completely different,” LaCivita said.

He also cited Michigan as more of a challenge. “But again, these are states that Biden won and carried and so they’re going to be brawls all the way until the end and we’re not ceding any of that ground.”

The candidates are about even in Wisconsin, based on a series of polls that have shown little movement since Biden dropped out in late July. Those same polls also show high enthusiasm among both parties.

Mark Graul, who ran then-President George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign in Wisconsin, said the number of campaign visits speaks to Wisconsin’s decisive election role.

The key for both sides, he said, is persuading infrequent voters to turn out.

“Much more important, in my opinion, than rallies,” Graul said.

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Jill Colvin in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event at Dane Manufacturing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Waunakee, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Dane Manufacturing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Waunakee, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign event Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Prairie du Chien, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)