Colin Jost Talks Olympic Surfing in Teahupo’o, Tahiti
Photo: Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
It was organized chaos on the opening day of surfing in Teahupo’o, Tahiti during the Paris 2024 Games. Well, semi organized. There were still armed police everywhere, bag checks and metal detectors around every corner, and a perplexing set of regulations for what us members of the media can or cannot do. One thing: do NOT pull out a camera without the proper credentials. I have one strike in that department; next time, I’m kicked out.
But, amidst the bedlam, I still tried to lightly bend the rules without drawing too much attention. In the press zone, where the surfers parade through for interviews after their heats, I noticed a familiar, yet somewhat out-of-place, face. Colin Jost, of Saturday Night Live fame, was mingling among the media. He wore designer sunglasses, a silky lavender shirt, a gold chain, baggy but soft cargo shorts, and basketball sneakers. Not your typical Teahupo'o attire, but alas, Jost is not your typical Teahupo'o surfing Olympics attendee. As we previously reported, he was there to commentate on the surfing event. At the moment, however, he wasn’t busy. So, I called him over.
And surprisingly, Jost is quite the lil surf fanboy. He knew his stuff. He was tuned into the competitors, the perils of a wave like Teahupo’o, and actually, a surfer himself for decades. So, for a few minutes between our respective reporting duties, we talked surf. Scroll on for more.
SURFER: I’m not sure if I’m allowed to interview you with all this security. You think we can pull it off?
Jost: Yeah, let’s do it. We’re just chitchatting.
I'm loving the swag by the way. You're stylin'.
Right? Where else am I going to wear this. [Laughs.] When I go back to New York, it's going to be jarring getting back in the suit. I'm stoked to dress down a bit.
Okay, so what’s your first impression? Is this your first time here at Teahupo’o?
Yes, this is my first time in Tahiti. Being here, after seeing it for so long in videos, to actually be here and watching it, the power of it is crazy. Even on a day like this, where it’s not huge, and it’s great conditions, you can just tell how much power there is. And then seeing these guys up close.
Is this your first time at a major surf contest?
First time being at one live, yeah. I really went from zero to 100.
Related: Comedian Colin Jost Will Commentate Surfing at Paris 2024 Olympics
But you’re a surfer, right? What’s your surfing history?
I was a really big swimmer growing up. I was a competitive swimmer. But I didn’t know anyone who surfed. Then, in my early 20s, one of my best friends at SNL grew up in Huntington [Beach]. He started taking me out surfing, and I started going out to Montauk. Eventually, I got a place out there. Or I would go to Puerto Rico, and just go surf whenever we had off weeks from SNL. And now, I’ve been surfing probably almost 20 years.
But I’m a pretty cautious surfer. I mostly longboard in Montauk. So, being here, I’ve been out surfing a few times. I was very lucky to go out with John John Florence and Carissa Moore at Bad Pass. It’s so much fun to go out and surf a faster reefbreak than I’m used to.
How’d you go out there?
I did okay! I only scraped up my leg a little bit.
So, in your book [A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir] you talk about surfing with Jimmy Buffett and him coming to rescue you with a knife.
Yeah, so, my leash got caught under a rock. It was in a position that I couldn’t get my leash undone. The board was just tombstoning, and I was just stuck. It wasn’t super big. And then Jimmy comes over, and he’s like, ‘are you okay?’ And I was like, ‘yeah, I’m fine.’ I just didn’t wanna bother him. He was like, ‘no…you’re not okay.’ So, he came in with his knife, and cut my leash. I was immediately concerned about replacing the leash. [Laughs.]
"I was very lucky to go out [surfing] with John John Florence and Carissa Moore at Bad Pass. It’s so much fun to go out and surf a faster reefbreak than I’m used to."
Who are your picks, or favorites, for the Olympics?
I’m certainly rooting for John and Carissa. And then Kauli Vaast and Vahine Fierro; they’re just so fun, and they have a great story. They have such a great mindset, and approach. They obviously know the wave really well. I’m excited to see what they do. And in the early heats, I thought Jack Robinson looked really great. Even though he didn’t win that heat, he looked good. And then, Gabriel Medina…always. You can’t count him out.
It’ll be interesting to see in the next couple days how much of it becomes the pure barrel contest, which we were expecting, versus people doing maneuvers, and how that could potentially open the door for people who weren’t maybe favorites before.
Lastly, how does Scarlett feel about you being down here?
I mean, she won’t admit it, but she’s probably jealous. [Laughs.] No, but she’s very happy for me. She knows how much I love surfing, and how I do it every chance I can. She knows that this is, like, a life goal fulfillment for me. So, she’s supportive.
