Paris 2024 Olympics: Vahine Fierro exclusive: What I have learned from Teahupo'o waves
Vahine Fierro is soaking in all the little moments.
It’s the simple things that keep her grounded and calm ahead of her Olympic surfing debut, like a quiet afternoon at home with her parents.
With shoes off and a frangipani in her hair, Fierro is in her element.
“I keep reminding myself that it's me, the ocean, my board, my competitors and then, it’s really simple. We do that every day. So, I’m just kind of keeping the routine going,” Fierro says in an exclusive interview to Olympics.com.
Sitting on her porch you could be forgiven for not realising surfing’s Paris 2024 Olympic venue is just 300m down the road. There are no signs of it here at her home. Even the fact that she’s allowed us to come and speak with her just before the biggest competition of her life is rare.
What is clear is that she’s embracing everything this occasion brings for her.
“It's a dream come true. I'm living one of the biggest dreams I ever wanted to achieve. To be here at the Olympics, at home in my first Olympics ever, there’s just so much excitement,” she says.
Instead of allowing it to overwhelm her, the French Polynesian surfer is taking it all in her stride.
“Sure, there's pressure, there's excitement, there's a lot of emotions going on, but I think it's so normal to feel all that. It's such a big event. It's the biggest sports event ever. So to be doing that at home is really special and it's a once in a lifetime moment,” says Fierro.
It's not often people have the Olympic venue on their doorstep like she does with Teahupo’o. But while familiarity is no doubt in her favour, it also means there’s an added expectation for the local hope and hometown golden girl.
She has accepted her unique position.
“I think that it’s about just giving it your all, so you have no regrets. Thinking like that is kind of my way of coping. I don't want to regret anything. I just want to give it my all and it's normal to feel pressure and to accept it and do your best.
“I feel that pressure from myself. I think it comes from me putting priceless hours into my craft, into training, into guiding all my life for this moment to happen."
These words make her father Andrew smile because having a sense of belonging at Teahupo’o is something she has had to work hard for. It’s taken time.
Fierro finally has the belief that she deserves to be in the Teahupo'o line up which should serve her well in the Olympic competition.
Vahine Fierro: Harnessing the Teahupo’o spell
With Olympic surfing taking place at one of the most iconic waves in the world, Teahupo’o has been in the headlines more than ever.
The fearsome wave draws on all emotions. It demands your attention and respect.
“The first few days when we started training like a week ago, I had like a little bit of fear, a little bit of nerves. And then all of a sudden, I started settling in into my boards and into my little goals. I try my boards, try new manoeuvres, deeper barrels. And then all of a sudden, I feel a sense of calm,” she says.
“There’s a lot of energy going on. Everybody's excited. Everybody is watching what other teams are doing. So somehow, I'm able to just hone in and kind of focus on the little things."
Like all pro surfers, the Tahitian has special preferences and needs for each board in her quiver – known as a surfer's collection of boards.
The 24-year-old has a deep spiritual connection with her French Polynesian culture - and she feels a connection to her boards too. They’re more than just equipment, they’re a vessel for opportunity.
“All my boards for out at Teahupo’o are mostly with pink rails. I don't know why. I feel like it has girl power to it. I don't necessarily name my boards, but I do say, 6’0 magic, and this one's the 5’7 magic. So, they all have magic to them," she shares with us.
"And I think when you have good boards, you feel really comfortable, really confident. Especially out here, you want to feel comfortable on your board and know that it can go fast, that you can make the deepest barrel ever. So that board can make you win the best event ever, can make you take the best wave of your life. So just making sure that she's nice and warm and until I need her," she says endearingly.
The other relationships that are important to her now are the bonds she has within her French team.
“Teahupo’o, brings that respect, brings that connection between everything, whether it's with the ocean, with the people. It just connects everybody. That's kind of why I started surfing there, because I wanted to be part of that bond of surfers that are charging after the surf, that are talking about their best waves and their worst wipe-outs.
“Now that I surf it almost every day when I'm at home, I'm able to have such a big family of friends to support each other and help each other. I have so much guidance from Kauli (Vaast) and Jeremy (Flores). They're probably my biggest teachers out there and they've taught me so much and all that just through a wave. We are connected as brothers and sisters, and it’s just created a beautiful family.
“This wave makes you grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and it kind of helps you be surrounded by the right people too. To be able to go out there, feel comfortable, feel the fear, feel everything and when you come home you have your people to share all that knowledge with. It’s really special.”
The love she feels for her people and her community is returned as a wave of support from them on her Olympic journey:
“It's pretty insane all this support that's going on here for this event, for Tahitian athletes being in the biggest sports event ever. It just makes me feel calm because I know they love me whether I win or lose, they're still going be here. They're still going to support me. And that just makes me kind of centred and brings me back down to earth. And I know they will always be here for me, so that’s reassuring and, and it makes you feel really confident going into, into this event.” – Vahine Fierro.
Vahine Fierro pauses for a moment of reflection.
Vahine Fierro: Knowing what it takes to win
Having tasted success in May of 2024 when she infamously won the Tahiti Pro, Fierro knows what it takes to win:
“I got the chance to experience what it’s like to win Teahupo’o and be a champion out there and it was the best feeling in the world, but I feel like it's so different than the Olympics. It's two different contests. It's different goals. I feel like the Olympics is something new that I am experiencing.
"It's happens every four years. So taking what I learned from that experience into the Olympics is important. But also being open to feeling all the new things coming from the Olympics and just building like a special recipe for the Olympics is what I do. Like a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And it could bring out the best show in the world."
Living positively – the Tahitian way
Fierro's personality is as bright as the vibrant colours around her house. There’s a radiance to her and an effortlessness that seems hard to fathom given the challenge she is about to take on.
As far as leaving kindness on the shore and having an alter ego in the water, this is not her.
“If somebody is going to ask me, oh, where should I sit? I would be so happy to help because ultimately, they're going to learn. So, if they're asking for help, I just help and then they're going to push me to go even bigger.
“I love winning. I want to do everything to be able to win, but also, I know that my competitors are helping me be a better person, be a better competitor and a stronger competitor every single day. So yeah, it's just giving back and learning," she says with a smile.
Like the people and energy of Tahiti, kindness runs in her veins. It appears her love language is to give.
“I love giving back. I just feel like I love being nice to people because I would like those people to be nice to me too. So, I try to give back, always be kind to whoever comes up to me and it even just starts with me. If I'm kind with myself, if I'm happy with myself, I can do that with others.
“I think that also comes from the generation before me that taught me. I'm trying to teach that to the younger generation after me. It's a positive reinforcing cycle. It's our ancestors to us, the new generation and then the next generation. And if we can give the best knowledge and positive vibes, energy and attitudes that's kind of my goal," she adds.
When it comes to surfing goals though, her vision is clear:
“It would make me happy to just go all in, have no regrets. I’ve worked really hard for this. I know that I’ve put my time in and I just need to keep that going. Like feeling calm, feeling powerful, feeling happy with what I'm doing and feeling more engaged with the wave and having the best waves of my life in the heat is my goal. And that that should bring me to best place on the podium.” – Vahine Fierro
Is she dreaming about gold?
“I think it's hard not to think about it. It's on the forefront of everybody's mind to win gold and to visualise it and to feel it and I don't know what it feels like, so I want to keep that for when it actually happens.”