It was back in 2017, September 13, to be exact, when the IOC first announced the next two venues for the quadrennial event. And the cities to get that honor were none other than Paris and Los Angeles. What’s common in both these cities? They both hosted the Olympics twice before. 1900 and 1924 for the city of love, while 1932 and 1984 for the City of Angels. Now, eight years down the line, while Paris has had the unique status of having a trilogy of The Games, LA doesn’t seem to have the same luck. With everything from wildfires to budget issues haunting the city, it seems one more concern has hit LA28. And it might have something to do with surfing. So what’s that?
Well, surfing didn’t have the best luck at international competitions in recent times. The 2024 event was marred by environmental concerns, among other things, in French Polynesia. But while this time the location is Trestles Beach, California, the concerns are just the same. To add to that, things are already becoming quite controversial. So here are the primary concerns for the event that the masses have been voicing.
Now, the Lower Trestles, just like Polynesia, are part of a delicate coastal ecosystem. Located just near San Mateo Creek, the area has already faced threats such as a proposed development project in the past. This includes a toll road project back in 2016, which was halted because of the same concerns. Not to mention, it’s not just about the building projects. The increased footfall would disrupt the native habitats, not to mention introduce all kinds of pollutants into the ocean.
Another troubling issue is that the venue cannot be reached without traversing informal trails and crossing active train tracks. This in itself could be dangerous enough, but with the influx of visitors, things like stampedes could exacerbate these challenges. These, in turn, could lead to some major accidents and a threat to local species.
Another problem with the venue is that it has a lot of cultural significance for the local community. Something similar had already happened when Hogan, a local surfer, confronted another surfer, Lucas Kirth, over the wave priority. Hogan, asserting his local status, told Kirth to “go home” and claimed that Lowers was for “locals only.” LA is going to see surfers from all around the world.
Now, a large event would also lead to a lot of waste. One example of that is when, in 2025, volunteers, in collaboration with California State Parks and the San Onofre Park Foundation, collected 61.4 pounds of trash from the shoreline. Hosting an Olympic event can also be harmful to the local infrastructure, including transportation, waste management, and public services.
During the Lexus WSL Finals, the influx of spectators and participants overwhelmed the existing facilities, leading to overcrowded conditions and logistical difficulties. Consequences? Traffic congestion. Delay in emergency services and whatnot. Another problem with the venue is that the infrastructure can also damage the marine life, like the time it did during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Surfing caused damage to coral reefs at the Paris Olympics
The Paris 2024 Olympics decided, for the first time, to organize surfing events at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, and this has raised loud environmental concerns. Construction of a new judging tower made of aluminum over the reef triggered physical damage when a barge hit the column during installation. The occurrence warranted stopping further construction by the French Polynesian government.
This also led to a further review of the overall environmental impact of the project. Communities and environmental organizations raised alarm over projected long-term impacts on the reef ecosystem. The amount of algae has increased since construction started on site, raising the alarm over the polarity of coral health and the possibility of intoxication through ciguatera.
This is caused by differences in toxins in reef fish poisoning, or affecting possible locally available food genotypes. Further, disruption of the reef crumbles wave patterns, breeding adverse effects into the two environments and the surfing experience. In reaction to the complaints, they have promised to reduce the height and weight of the tower, and the use of smaller equipment during installation has been made.
However, concern still prevails in the minds of many about the need for a structured environmental price to be paid. The whole premise brings to the forefront tensions between the sporting aspirations of the world while making it imperative to conserve fragile marine habitats.
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