Surfers at the Olympics camp out on the open sea near Tahiti’s coast

The sport of surfing made its inaugural appearance at the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to the pandemic, but this year, it’s causing a stir with a unique floating Olympic Village for the 2024 Paris Games in French Polynesia, where athletes will reside at sea and wake up to breathtaking ocean views.

Lately, social media has been flooded with POV videos from athletes showcasing team gear from brands like Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Skims, as well as room tours testing out the well-known recyclable cardboard beds at the Olympic Village in Paris. However, for the ocean-based event in French Polynesia, it seems some athletes have already struck gold before they hit the waves at Teahupo’o.

One of these videos, posted by German Olympian Tim Elter, showcased his suite on the Aranui 5, a passenger and freighter ship that is hosting the surf competitors, and has garnered nearly 2 million views on TikTok.

Elter mentioned in the video that there have been inquiries about the cardboard beds in the floating village in Tahiti, but clarified that they have real, sturdy aluminum bed frames, highlighting the superior accommodations compared to those in Paris.

The Aranui 5 showcases Polynesian culture in its design and boasts 103 spacious cabins, eight guest decks, an outdoor pool, a spa, a gym, a restaurant, and lounges, as per Aranui Cruises. This purpose-built ship is located less than 45 minutes away from the Teahupo’o big wave competition site, where the surfing event will kick off on July 27.

Saffi Vette, a 22-year-old athlete from Team New Zealand, posted a video of the ship on TikTok, arriving at the floating Olympic village by dinghy while listening to Michael Jackson.