Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to speak in itaukei to acknowledge the owners of the land this morning;
Vanua o Tabanivono, vua na Gone Turaga na Tui Tabanivono-i-wai,
Vanua o Nalolo na Gone Turaga na Tui Nalolo, kei na Vanua o Raviravi
Taumada au via taura na gauna oqo, meu vakavinavinakataka na veiqaravi cecekia ka dokai, na veivakaturagataki kei na kena maroroi tiko na noda I tovo e da kilai tani kina na kawa I taukei. Keitou sa vakavinavinaka e na vei delaniyavu tabu e na kena mai vakaycori na veiqararavi vakaturaga vakavanua kei na kena ciqomi tiko na I lakolako mai Delainaiqasiqasi. Sa noqu masu ni na vakalevutaka tiko na noda Kalou bula na nomudou I vurevure mai na veika e vakalougatataka kina na nomudou vanua, na kena uciwai, I qoliqoli kei na kena umatamata. Dou mani tko sobu saka na Turaga ni Vanua kei na I Taukei ni Vanua au mai cavuta e dua na neitou vosa ni vakavinavinaka e na nomudou veiciqomi sa vaka saka oya na kena levu.
Au sa kerekere meu sa na vosa vakaperitania me ra kidavaki talega na noda vulagi era tiko maliwai keda e daidai.
The Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Viliame Gavoka,
Senior Officials of the Government of Fiji,
The President of the World Surf League Asia Pacific, Mr. Andrew Stark,
The Chief Executive Officer of World Surf League, Mr. Ryan Crosby,
Industry Leaders,
Participating Athletes,
Event Partners,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Ladies and gentlemen, I beg your indulgence as I began this morning by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land and iqoliqoli that we stand on today. I am certain that you will all agree with me, that it is quite important that we acknowledge them for they are the custodians of the land and sea that we use for the sport and for Tourism in this part of Fiji.
We pay our respects to their Community and their Elders, past and present. We pay our respects to their Chiefs, past and present, as well as to emerging leaders and members of the Vanua, who may be present here today.
We wish to also extend this acknowledgement and respect to other First Nations Peoples, who may be joining us in person and online.
Bula Vinaka everyone! It is my great pleasure to welcome you to our home. For those of you who have been here before, welcome back – I am sure you are excited to be back.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I know today feels more like a home coming with the return of Fiji Pro. There has been a lot of work, dedication and investment in bringing the World Tour Competition to Fiji, and I would like to thank the World Surf League, Andrew Stark and Ryan Crosby, for your confidence in including Fiji as part of the tour.
I understand there are 12 women and 24 men representing 12 different countries. This event is for you.
Surf, like any other sport, is driven out of passion. Over the next few days, we will gather not just to witness feats of athleticism and grace, but to honour a sport that embodies the pure joy of riding the waves and the deep connection between humans and nature.
I, myself, hold dearly my role as not only Head of State, but as a custodian of the ocean and its resources.
As peoples of the Pacific in the past, present, and generations to come, you will see the connection and respect we have with the bounty of our ocean. It is our greatest source of livelihood, our traditions, of jobs, of sustenance – and by a large extent – our tourism sector and economy.
You will know that we have a growing tourism industry in Fiji. This year, we are expecting for the first time a million visitors. These visitors come for many reasons. They come for holiday, for business, to visit friends and family, to get married. They also come to surf, dive, fish or hike.
We are increasingly connecting with the world. I am equally pleased to add that by the end of this year, we will also be adding a direct flight to Dallas, Texas which was announced last week. And we are matching these increasing investments in our hotel capacity.
I am glad to see so many partners come together to support the event. Through the World Surf League’s three-year partnership with the Government of Fiji, Cloudbreak will remain on tour into 2026 — right where it belongs, as I am sure you will agree.
Before arriving here, you have surfed destinations – much larger – from Hawaii to Brazil. And I am thrilled that a small island state like ours is also equally capable of hosting such a prestigious event.
Ladies and Gentlemen, not to put any pressure on our athletes, but millions of people globally will see you, the Fiji Pro and our beautiful Fiji – and we will do so proudly.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate our wildcard from Fiji, Tevita Gukilau, who will be representing Fiji. I am sure there are many homegrown talents out there who will one day compete alongside other international athletes.
Each of you here, whether you are a competitor, a fan, a sponsor, a steward of the land and iqoliqoli, you play a crucial role in this narrative.
I also take this opportunity to extend my deepest appreciation to the World Surf League for giving back to the community. The construction and gifting of the Tavarua Surf Tower will truly be a legacy asset to the vanua o Tabanivono-i-wai and its people.
I also acknowledge the contribution made to the Nabila and Momi Villages, as well as to the Fiji Surfing Association in forging a lasting partnership with them. For us, this is a true measure of success and the empowerment of communities.
I know most of you will be out at Cloudbreak during your stay here. I hope you do have the time to experience the natural beauty of not only our waves, but of our people and our unique Fijian hospitality as well.
As we kick off this competition, let us celebrate not just the victories, but also the camaraderie and the shared passion that unite us all.
I am also proud to officially say in advance – you are all welcome back for the 2025 WSL Finals. Hopefully by then, we will have scouted and groomed more home-grown talents to add as our next wild card.
With those few words, it is my pleasure to declare the 2024 Corona Fiji Pro Presented By Bonsoy, open.
May God bless you all and May God bless Fiji!
Vinaka vakalevu and all the best to our athletes.
ENDS