Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost to Cover 2024 Olympic Surfing in Tahiti
“I’m honored to get to watch the best surfers in the world compete,” said the comedian, who's "obsessed" with the sport himself.
Cowabunga! Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost has joined the NBC Sports team to cover the surfing competition, which promises to be the gnarliest 2024 Paris Olympics event.
Jost, who’s known as SNL’s Weekend Update anchor and a best-selling author, will report live from Teahupo’o, Tahiti, beginning July 27.
“I’m honored to get to watch the best surfers in the world compete on one of the heaviest waves imaginable,” said Jost, an avid surfer who’ll interviews surfers competing at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, part of French Polynesia.
The tropical location, some 10,000 miles from the City of Light, marks the site of the second-ever Olympics surfing event. The sport debuted in Tokyo in 2021.
Jost’s summer side hustle includes previewing waves and interviewing competitors. He will complement NBC Sports traditional surfing play-by-play and analysis.
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“Colin Jost hit the NBC Sports jackpot with an epic assignment,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and president, production, NBC Olympics. “Tune in to see if he catches a wave for America.”
When will Olympics surfing competition take place?
The Paris Olympic surfing event will take place over four days between July 27-August 5. The 10-day window leaves room for weather delays that are common for the sport.
The competition will feature a shortboard event for men and women, with 24 competitors of each gender catching waves. On the women's side, Team USA’s Carissa Moore will seek to defend her Olympic gold medal.
The Time Jost Was Saved by Jimmy Buffett in Surfing Mishap
Jost has a personal passion for surfing, an activity that’s always unpredictable. In his book, A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir, Jost recalled how Jimmy Buffett, the late singer-songwriter behind the hit "Margaritaville,” helped him out of a surfing incident that got out of hand, surfer.com reported.
While catching a wave in St. Barts, Jost managed to get himself pinned against rocks by the leash attached to his board. Buffett, who, was luckily nearby, paddled over with a knife in hand. He cut the leash and freed Jost.
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The situation left Jost with a bleeding foot and red-faced about “forcing a seventy-one-year-old man to endanger his own life to save mine,” Jost wrote, according to People.
But Buffett, famous for his easy-breezy vibe, was chill. Jost wrote that he pointed out “a gentler section of waves … and says, ‘That might be more your speed over there.’”
Colin Jost and Shep Rose Are Chairmen of the Boards
Jost loves talking about surfing. During an appearance of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the topic came up thanks to a tweet from Southern Charm’s Shep Rose, who enjoys catching waves in his home state of South Carolina.
"Ask Colin about his relentless pursuit of excellence in Surfing,” Shep tweeted to Cohen. “He’s obsessed, and it's awesome. Also, where's our next surf trip?"
Jost confirmed that he and his buddy, Rose, shared a love for the sport. He told Cohen about one of Rose’s memorable surf moments: "He went out in like a 25-foot wave that was insane, and I thought he was gonna die from it."
Count on Jost to always have a good story to tell, and a great sense of humor while sharing it. Jost can’t wait to “showcase the rich history of surfing in Tahiti,” he said in the Olympics announcement. “And my Writer’s Guild Health Insurance is excited to see what the coral reef does to my back.”
Don’t miss
Watch live coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26, on NBC and Peacock beginning at 12 p.m. ET. Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
