Olympics Seek Viral TikTok Creators to Cover Surfing at Paris 2024 Games

Surfing has forever struggled to break into the mainstream.

Take, for example, the Olympics. Over 100 years ago, Duke Kahanamoku (a multiple gold medalist swimmer himself) was advocating for the addition of surfing in the Games. And yet, it took until the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for it to actually happen.

And now, ahead of Paris 2024, in which the surfing event will be held at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, it appears that the Olympics are looking for a younger, more social media savvy correspondent to cover the competition, perhaps in a ploy to hit certain demos.

So, no WSL commentators like Joe Turpel? No former Olympics and X-Games correspondent, Selema Masakela?

The news was announced with current World Champion and Olympian, Caroline Marks, on the Today show. See above.

But, per a press release, here’s a bit more about the program:

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 27, 2023 – NBCUniversal and Visa, the Worldwide Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, today announced they are partnering on a once-in-a-lifetime program, “Tap into Tahiti”, which will send a content creator to Tahiti to cover the surfing competition for NBCU’s coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The men’s and women’s Olympic surfing competition will take place July 27-30, 2024, in Tahiti, a part of French Polynesia, and nearly 10,000 miles from the center of the Olympic action in Paris.

The casting call begins today and was announced this morning on the TODAY Show by Team Visa athlete Caroline Marks, who has already qualified for Paris 2024 on Team USA and is the 2023 world champion.

The hired talent will be chosen after a months-long call back process by NBC Olympics producers based on the creator’s storytelling skills, style, technical expertise, and ability to inspire. To start, Creators simply need to follow the prompt and post their content on TikTok with #TapIntoTahiti2024 and tag NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics).

“The Olympic surfing competition from gorgeous and exotic Tahiti will be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Paris Olympic Games,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer and President, Production, NBC Olympics and Paralympics. “With ‘Tap Into Tahiti 2024’, anyone can earn a once-in-a-lifetime role at next summer’s Olympics.”

There’s more, but you've seen enough; here’s how you enter:

Step 1: Produce a video in under 30 seconds that describes a gold medal-worthy day at the beach. The video should captivate viewers by demonstrating storytelling skills, unique style, technical expertise, and an ability to inspire.

Step 2: Use #TapIntoTahiti2024 and tag @NBCOlympics when submitting content on TikTok

Step 3: The best creators will be contacted and given specific content direction by NBC Olympics producers for the next phase of the casting.

Step 4: In April, a finalist will be hired as the guest correspondent and announced on the TODAY Show.

Step 5: The creator will be flown to Tahiti in July to cover the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing competition for NBCU.

With the current controversy surrounding the aluminum judging tower, and now this – a TikTok star crowdsourced to cover the carnage and glory at Teahupo’o – surfing in the Paris 2024 Olympics should be quite interesting.

Stay tuned.

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