Australia is looking like it could add to its growing medal tally in the next couple of days, with Jack Robinson joining Ethan Ewing in an all-Aussie quarterfinal in the Paris Olympics surfing.

Anybody who has been lucky enough to catch some of the surfing on the coverage will have seen a spectacular, temperamental surf break with a geography you wouldn't expect to see on the French coast.

And that's because it isn't on the French coast.

While France does indeed have some alright surf spots, none of it can match the brutality and awe-inspiring nature of Teahupo'o, where surfing dreams are being made and shattered this week.

The legendary wave ‘at the end of the road’

Located on the lush mountainous south-western coast of Tahiti, Teahupo'o is often referred to as "the end of the road" in the surfing community. 

The nickname is both literal and figurative. The wave is located where roads end on the island, but it is also considered a crown jewel in surfing destinations due to its remote location, unique properties and thrilling rides.

In the map above of the World Surf League locations from last season, you can see just how far out of the way Teahupo'o is to the left of the image, sat right in the middle of the Pacific in French Polynesia.

And that title can give you some clue as to why the Paris Olympics are partly being held in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean.

French Catholic missionaries arrived on Tahiti in 1834 and after they were expelled, the French sent a gunboat two years later to ensure they were not expelled again. By 1842, the French had declared the area a French protectorate.

At 15,723.27km away from Paris, it sets a new record for distance between an event and the host city of an Olympics, beating Melbourne 1956 when equestrian events were held in Stockholm 15,690km away due to quarantine rules at the time.

Dynamics of the wave

How the wave forms is considered a natural marvel. The pitch and shape of the barrels of water come from Southern Ocean swells that bend and race along a large, shallow reef. The wave leaves from a sloped bottom, hurling toward the reef and breaking below sea level.

The left-handed waves are usually between six to 10 feet high but at times have exceeded 20 feet. The ride is short — lasting between 200 to 300 feet — but extremely fast and intense.

Because of this combination of factors, it’s considered a difficult wave to ride and has claimed the life of at least one surfer. 

In fact, the name of the wave loosely translates into English as "pile of skulls", reminding even the world’s most seasoned surfers to proceed with caution.

Environmental concerns about the Olympics being held in the spot were also raised before the Games were to begin.

Comparative luxury on a cruise ship

Cardboard beds might be Paris' solution to providing athletes a place to sleep for the 2024 Olympics. 

But in Tahiti it's a cruise ship.

About 45 minutes from the surfing venue, the Aranui 5 ship is able to accommodate about 230 passengers in over 100 cabins, with eight guest decks, a spa and gym, according to its website. 

It's anchored just off shore and the surfers, coaches and others take small boats to get back and forth.

"They have a wonderful location for the village, which is on a ship," French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson said. 

"It's unusual, but they seem to like it."

While media have been restricted from boarding the ship, athletes have shared photos and video on their social media that offer a glimpse into what the Olympics say is the first-ever floating athlete village.

"I think our athlete village in Tahiti is better than the actual one in Paris," surfer Kanoa Igarashi of Japan said on TikTok, sharing a video tour of the accommodations.

In the video, he shows the amenities on board, including a 24-hour dining hall, fully stocked Olympic gift store and activity centre with ping pong and foosball tables.

Matt Scorringe, a coach travelling with the New Zealand surfing team, shared an Instagram video from the ship showing a pool with a statue of the Olympic rings at one end.

On TikTok, German surfer Tim Elter posted the sea view from his cabin, jokingly tapping the bed frame, saying how it's not cardboard like those at the Olympic village for athletes in Paris.

The ship helps alleviate some of the larger-than-usual crowds and need for new buildings that locals and activists said could affect the small town at the end of the road on the small island.

Not all athletes competing in Tahiti are staying on the ship.

Some national teams or individuals have rented houses closer to the waves, sharing photos of boardwalks leading from their back doors to the shore, communal dinners with teammates and lush green lawns lined with palm trees.

How scoring works in Olympic surfing

During heats, a judging panel scores each wave ride on a scale of 1 to 10 based on a combination of factors, including speed, manoeuvres and degree of difficulty. For each ride, the highest and lowest scores are discarded, with the surfer given the average of the three scores remaining.

Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they want in a heat, but wave selection can be crucial, especially given the unpredictable nature of the ocean.