Paris to Tahiti- A Journey of 15,000 km.

 The Surfing Paradise

The surfer showcasing its skill during the competition. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics have concluded, with many highs and lows, record-breaking moments, thrills, and excitement. The event was historical, as for the first time in the history of games, women participants equaled the number of men participants, a very huge step towards gender equality. As always, the USA topped the medal table, followed by China, and hosts France finished fifth. But in today's blog we are not discussing the performances of athletes or teams or an overview of the tournament.

 

To host this prestigious event, countries and cities spent millions of dollars for the infrastructure, games village, transport, accommodation, etc. Many facilities and venues are built to cater to different sports. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, around 35 venues were selected to host various sporting disciplines. Out of these, 34 venues were located in mainland France, and the only venue that was assigned to host the surfing competitions was at Teahupo'o in Tahiti, a French colony situated approximately 15,000 km . away from Paris. But why was this venue chosen for the competition? Let's find out. 

 

Surfing was added to the Olympics in the 2020 event, which was held in Tokyo, Japan. The competition of surfing was held forty miles away from Tokyo in Chiba City. But the event did not go as planned as it was to be because the waves for surfing were not very high. After a series of delays, the two events (men and women) ended in three days. 

 

Cut to 2024, the Paris Olympic Committee proposed two cities in mainland France for the events, but the waves were not suitable for the competition (as the waves were too choppy and fat for surfing). At last, the committee decided Tahiti was the best spot for the sport. Being a part of French Polynesia, a French group  of colonies, Tahiti is world-famous for its surfing waves, as they were among the biggest, smoothest, and heaviest waves in the world. The event was a success and brought revenue to Tahiti. The athletes, support staff, and media were all accommodated in a cruise ship named Aranui 5, the first Olympic village in water. As surfing made its mark at the world's most prestigious sporting event, the International Olympic Committee is planning to introduce more disciplines in the sport in the future games.

 

See you surfing in the LA 2028 Olympics! 

The Teahupo'o village, named after the wave of same name.
One of the best waves for surfing. 

Thank You, 

Sarthak P. Khode 😊

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The Unbreakable Glass

 The Superfest

Glass—the discovery that revolutionized the whole world in many ways. Nowadays, our homes to jewelry many things consist of glass to some extent. But have you ever wondered about unbreakable glass (literally)? During the 1980s, East Germany created an unbreakable glass by a chemically strengthening process. The purpose for creating the glass is to maximize the glass's life because the raw materials for making the glass were scarcely available in the country. Due to its unbreakable nature, it was the first choice for the customers as a one-time investment. Fast-food shops, pubs, and cafes were the main customers of the glasses. Soon, the glasses became popular all over Europe and the company expanded its product range by including ice-cream glasses, vases, coffee mugs, etc.

 

But as the law of nature says, everything positive comes with negativity. Same happened with the 'Superfest'; the unbreakable nature of the glasses lowered the profit margin exponentially as the customers were purchasing the glasses for only one time, as they would last for decades. As a result, the production unit shut down in 1990, and the 'Unbreakable Glasses' became a piece of history. Today they are highly valued collectibles because of their legacy, rarity, and historical importance. They are considered an innovation in the modern field of glass engineering. 

The glass with 'Superfest' branding, produced in 1990s.

Superfest ice-cream cup. 

I hope you like the blog, please comment about the blog and give your valuable suggestions. 

Thank You,

Sarthak P. Khode