The Story Behind This Breathtaking Viral Photo of an Olympic Surfer

Since kicking off with a buzzy opening ceremony on the Seine River on Friday, the Summer Games in Paris have already delivered several viral moments—from “pommel horse geek” Stephen Nedoroscik leading the American men’s gymnastics team to a bronze medal to “Bob the cap catcher” making waves in the pool.

But one photograph in particular has captivated the internet’s attention this week. In it, Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina appears to be levitating above the ocean alongside his surfboard. With his right arm stretched high above his head, Medina raises his index finger toward the sky while seemingly floating through the air. His surfboard, which is still attached to his ankle by a leash, mirrors his body positioning above the waves. His feet are flat, and he appears to be standing on solid ground.

No, the image hasn’t been digitally altered. And it wasn’t generated by artificial intelligence, either. Jérôme Brouillet, an experienced photojournalist working for the Agence France-Presse (AFP), captured the iconic moment.

“I never thought it was possible that this shot would be so much appreciated, but I can understand why,” Brouillet, who is based in Tahiti, tells the Washington Post’s Des Bieler. “The alignment of Gabriel and the board—some have tried to say it’s Photoshopped, but no, Gabriel and the board are just aligned like that, with the leash connecting the two [elements].”

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A post shared by Gabriel Medina (@gabrielmedina)

The photo was taken in the waters off Teahupo’o, a tiny village on the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific Ocean—nearly 10,000 miles from the Paris games. The Olympic surfing events are being held there because Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, a collective of islands that operates as a semi-autonomous territory of France. The 48 surfing athletes are being housed onboard a cruise ship called the Aranui 5. (Their lavish accommodations have been another viral moment of these games.)

Brouillet captured the shot on Monday, just after Medina finished a record-setting ride on a barrel wave, which forms a tunnel-like cylinder that surfers can ride through. Judges awarded him a 9.90 out of 10—a new Olympic surfing record for a single wave run. He was scheduled to face off against fellow Brazilian surfer João Chianca in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, but all surfing events have been postponed because of bad weather.

Working with @AFP for 3 years for this event. Olympic Games. https://t.co/bYAhFi4Ll0

— Jerome Brouillet Photography (@BrouilletJerome) July 24, 2024

When he snapped the photo, Brouillet was in a boat with six other photographers. He doesn’t know Medina personally, but he has photographed the three-time World Surf League champion before. Based on how Medina has celebrated after past waves, Brouillet had a hunch the surfer might pop up after the ride.

“I took four pictures and one of them was this one,” Brouillet tells the Guardian’s Carly Earl and Graham Russell. “It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave.”

Brouillet’s camera automatically transmits images to his AFP editors. When they saw the now-iconic shot of Medina, they knew they had something special on their hands and posted it immediately. But because Brouillet was still busy taking photos, for a while, the photographer had no idea the image had gone viral. When he checked his phone and saw lots of notifications, he knew something big had happened.

Well hum. I just pushed the right button this time

— Jerome Brouillet Photography (@BrouilletJerome) July 30, 2024

Still, even amid all the compliments and new-found attention, Brouillet has remained humble and gracious. He joked on social media: “Well hum. I just pushed the right button this time.”

He tells the Guardian that any of the other photojournalists covering the event could’ve taken the same photo, he just happened to get “the shot of the day.”

“To be fair, if all conditions are met—weather, waves, light, if the boat driver is in the right position, and if you know how to use your camera—you can take good images of surfing in Teahupo’o,” he tells TIME magazine’s Katherine Pomerantz. “All the rest is experience, timing and a bit of luck. This differentiates a good shot from a great shot.”

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Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.