Olympic Surfing Comes to a ‘Poisoned’ Paradise

In 1974, a radioactive cloud from a French nuclear test drifted over Teahupo’o, Tahiti, now the surfing venue for the Paris Games. Villagers still feel the effects.

Three shirtless men stand on a beach with surfboards nearby.In 1974, a radioactive cloud from a French nuclear test drifted over Teahupo’o, Tahiti, now the surfing venue for the Paris Games. Villagers still feel the effects.

Hannah Beech and Adam Ferguson spent a week in French Polynesia, documenting the impact of nuclear testing on a territory that is hosting the Olympic surfing competitions.

July 30, 2024

Fifty years ago this July, as the waters of the South Pacific rushed toward the shores of Teahupo’o in a perfect, powerful…