Tahitian dancers in palm-leaf skirts mingled with Olympic surfers, locals and tourists as the opening ceremony for the Summer Games commenced in French Polynesia on Friday morning, some 10,000 miles away from the main ceremony in Paris.
Dancers perform during an opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition Friday, July 26, 2024, in Papara, Tahiti.
During one part of the ceremony athletes sealed banana leaves into a vessel, following an ancestral tradition in Polynesian culture — called Rahiri — used as a prelude to important events to secure the peace and union of those competing. During another part of the ceremony, athletes from different countries poured sand into a single communal container, symbolizing unity and respect for the ocean.
Despite extra security such as police checkpoints and some road closures closer to the Olympic venues, tourists said that they felt their visit to Tahiti during the Olympics was so far a smooth and welcoming experience.
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