Ben Thouard has a unique view of the 2024 Summer Games: Underwater in Tahiti, photographing surfing
On a late morning in October 2016, Ben Thouard was off the coast of Teahupo'o, Tahiti doing what he does best: documenting the waves, water and surfers in the place he's called home for the last 16 years.
An ominous storm was brewing in the distance, but that didn't deter him. While other surfers sought safety back on shore, Thouard readied his Canon camera for the perfect shot. As one of the swells in the distance started to break, he pressed down on the shutter button. "It was a very last second of light and calmness before the storm hit," he said.
There's an expression in Tahiti that surfers say to each other when they're preparing to take on a big wave. Pronounced "pah-moo," Thouard said it loosely translates to "just go for it."
The phrase is for those daring enough to take on one of the heaviest – and deadliest – waves in the world.
"When you're surfing at Teahupo'o and the waves are 10 feet or even bigger, it's scary. It takes a lot of commitment, knowledge, and skills," said Thouard. "But also it's a big mental game."
Swimming boldly into the danger zone is how the 38-year-old has captured some of his most iconic images to date, including "ANIMAL," the photo he took the day of the storm back in 2016. The shot has become one of the defining features of his decades-long career as an ocean photographer.
Now the French native has an opportunity to add another feather to his already impressive professional cap with the 2024 Olympics.
"I'm the only one in the water"
Thouard, representing Agence France-Presse, is the only photographer in the water during the surfing competition, which takes place from July 27-30 in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. Aside from one broadcast videographer, all other members of the press are stationed on nearby boats. The event is the only Olympic sport happening outside of the French mainland.
During the competition, Thouard's photos are being routed to international news agencies in real time, giving the world a chance to experience the surf contest through his skilled eyes.
Thouard said he's spending up to 10 hours in the ocean each day, following the movement of the surfers, getting into position as waves approach, and diving under the surface to capture photos from the crystal clear water Tahiti is famous for.
"You need to frame, you need to get in focus, you need to do all that," he said. "And then you go back to the surface and look for the next one."
To make freediving easier, the photographer doesn't have any sort of vest or tank to keep him afloat – just his Canon and himself. With its waterproof shell and transmitting system, Thouard estimates his camera equipment weighs more than 20 pounds. The biggest challenge though, isn't lifting it but rather navigating it through the turbulent waters of Teahupo'o.
"It's quite big, so moving it in the water is exhausting," he said.
Between swimming, holding his camera, adjusting the settings, and taking trips back to the boat to upload and transmit photos to his editor in real time, Thouard doesn't have much time to catch his breath.
To prepare for the plunge, the seasoned photographer and swimmer kept up with his regular surfing regimen and drank plenty of water. "Even if you're swimming and you're in the water, you can get dehydrated quite easily," he said. "The sun is quite strong."
From Toulon to Tahiti
In a way, Thouard has been training his whole life for this moment.
Growing up in the coastal city of Toulon in southern France, he frequently found himself out at sea, whether it was for sailboat excursions with his dad or surf lessons with his brother. "That's really what put me in love with the ocean, is spending that much time on the water," he said.
Photography didn't enter his life until years later, when he incidentally discovered an old film camera in his parent's attic. He started out small, taking shots of his friends out in the water surfing and then later enrolled in photography school in Paris.
But he couldn't shake the urge to be in the water. He quit halfway through the program to become a surf photographer.
"I couldn't practice surfing as much as I wanted," he said. "That created some sort of frustration in me because I was so passionate, but I couldn't practice. I think that's really what took me all the way to Tahiti today."
Since he landed on the French Polynesian island in 2008, Thouard has spent his days exactly where he wants to be: submerged in the ocean and the world of photography. He's documented countless sports competitions for magazines and brands, earning him accolades like the Overall Winner of the 2019 Red Bull Illume, an "action sports imagery contest."
In the last 10 years, he's pivoted to capture what's happening under the surface. The turbulence of the waves, the crystal clear water, and the tableau of colors and textures has provided endless inspiration and room for experimentation.
"I try to capture those very special moments that are very emotional to me, because you're really in front of the beauty of nature," he said. "Being a sports photographer first definitely allowed me to dig further and create different stuff."
It's Thouard's mastery of both surf photography and ocean photography that made him perfect for the Olympics.
"When the AFP called me they said, 'We love your work. We already have a photographer covering the event for us from the boat, but we would love to have you do what you do in the water during the Olympics,'" said Thouard. "I couldn't say no to that."
