Proposal and Inclusion in the Olympics
Surfing's journey to the Olympics wasn't exactly a leisurely ride. In 2015, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee suggested surfing for the 2020 Games to appeal to the younger crowd. In 2016 at Rio, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially welcomed surfing into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics fold. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these games were held in 2021, but let's not split hairs.
The sport has since promised to stick around, being locked in already for the LA 2028 Games. So it looks like surfing has become the life of the Olympic party, riding that wave into the future.
First Olympic Surfing Event
Picture this: Tokyo, 2021, pandemic Olympics—a perfect recipe for unpredictability. Add to that the already unpredictable ocean, and you've got yourself a suspense-thriller. The scene of the action? Tsurigasaki Beach, about 90 minutes outside of Tokyo.
Men's Event Highlights:
- Gold: Italo Ferreira (Brazil) – Snapped his board during the final heat and still won!
- Silver: Kanoa Igarashi (Japan)
- Bronze: Owen Wright (Australia) – A remarkable comeback after a previous surfing accident
Women's Event Highlights:
- Gold: Carissa Moore (USA) – Dominated the waves like a seasoned pro
- Silver: Bianca Buitendag (South Africa) – A surprising underdog story
- Bronze: Amuro Tsuzuki (Japan) – Edged out USA's Caroline Marks
The surfing debut was one wild ride, with weather conditions fluctuating between "calm lake Sunday" to "typhoon Tuesday." Despite taming the waves like Poseidon's protégés, surfers dealt with unruly winds brought on by Typhoon Nepartak. Yet, history was made, surfboards remained steady, and audience hearts raced faster than a delivery pizza scooter on a Friday night.
Impact of Surfing in the Olympics
Surfing's grand splash into the Olympic spotlight wasn't just a victory for those sandy-haired, sun-kissed wave warriors. It was a monumental tidal shift with ripples that stretched far beyond the idyllic shores of Tsurigasaki Beach.
With surfing now an Olympic sport, interest surged faster than a swell on Maui's north shore. Surf shops across continents saw their wetsuits flying off the racks. Kids from Tokyo to Timbuktu were waxing boards, inspired by watching their heroes perform gravity-defying aerials.
"Hopefully more people will fall in love with it and actually tune in on a more regular basis. And maybe it will even inspire them to get out and try it," said Carissa Moore, Olympic gold medalist.
The presence of surfing at the Olympics was like adding rocket fuel to a campfire; it lit up the sport and promised to keep it ablaze. Youngsters across the globe were introduced to the possibility of being Olympians by mastering the ocean's art form.
As we ride this exhilarating wave, we're now eyeing the magnificent barrel-riding canvas of Teahupo'o, Tahiti, for Paris 2024. When the party rolls into Los Angeles a few years later, you best believe surfing will strut like it owns the city, with the Pacific Ocean playing its symphonic cheerleader.
Surfing brought the element of adventure sports to an arena that often kept its head in the clouds—or between goalposts. The future's bright, pals, so grab your sunglasses and prepare to be dazzled!
Surfing's Olympic debut was more than just a splash; it was a monumental shift that put the sport on the global stage. This thrilling addition to the Olympics brought new excitement and inspiration, proving that riding waves can indeed make waves in history.
- International Olympic Committee. Surfing: Olympic Sport Since 2021. Olympic.org.
- World Surf League. Olympic Surfing: Tokyo 2020 Results. WorldSurfLeague.com.
- Moore C. Interview at Team USA's media summit. April 2021.