Olympics' Hot Tongan Returns (Where is Tonga? & Recent Hurricane)

Pita Taufatofua

   There's nothing like a hot, handsome, lean, muscular guy with a great personality who inspires people to better themselves... and that perfectly describes one of the men in this winter's Olympics.  The sport he trained for will surprise you. (Note: A Category 4 Hurricane Just hit his homeland this week)
    Everyone’s favorite hunky Tongan is back — and despite the frigid temperatures  Pita Taufatofua was shirtless once again.
   The 34-year-old Polynesian athlete was back in all his oily glory at the opening ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympics as the teams entered the massive stadium for the Parade of Nations, once again carrying the flag for Tonga.
   Wearing a traditional outfit from his nation, the athlete was once again greased up and sans top as he proudly hoisted his nation’s flag.

WHERE IS TONGA?    Tonga is an island in the South Pacific Ocean far to the east of Australia. Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands, many uninhabited, most lined in white beaches and coral reefs and covered with tropical rainforest. The main island, Tongatapu, is protected by lagoons and limestone cliffs. It’s home to the rural capital of Nuku'alofa, as well as beach resorts, plantations and the Ha'amonga ʻa Maui, a monumental coral gate from the 1200s. There are 107,000 people who live on Tonga. 
 

NASA satellite image of Trop. cyclone Gita on 2/13/18

***HURRICANE GITA HITS TONGA Feb. 12-13, 2018: Tonga was just hit badly by Tropical Cyclone Gita earlier this week. 
For the storm history, go to the NASA hurricane page.  From Newsweek:  Tonga residents woke up to chaotic scenes on Feb. 13 after Cyclone Gita tore through the Pacific island nation in the middle of the night, destroying homes, flooding neighborhoods and even flattening the country’s parliament building. The tropical cyclone, which hit Tonga with the force of a Category 4 hurricane, is believed to be most powerful cyclone ever recorded to hit the small Pacific nation.

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING ON THE BEACH? 
Of course it never snows there, but Pita decided to train for Cross-Country skiing and used innovative ways to train!

WATCH PITA'S OLYMPIC DREAM STORY:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=175&v=T1m86uqxoiY