Surfing is an Olympic sport

Although the Olympics in Tokyo has been postponed, some may not know that in 2016, surfing was approved to be included in the Olympics. so guess who will be represented in the olympics.... RIPCURL of course !


One Minute, One Sport | Surfing



Overview

Surfing is one of five additional sports proposed by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to bring more youthful and vibrant events and culture into the Olympic programme. In 2016, its inclusion was approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The competition will take place in the ocean, where the condition of the waves, the direction and strength of the wind, and the ebb and flow of the tide will all be factors. No two waves are alike, making surfing a competition where athletes compete against each other while balancing the changing conditions of nature.

The art of riding waves on a board is said to date back to ancient Polynesians living in Hawaii and Tahiti. Surfing was popularised by Duke Kahanamoku, from Hawaii, who won three gold medals in swimming at the Stockholm 1912 and Antwerp 1920 Games when competing for the USA. Kahanamoku is considered 'the father of modern surfing' and planted the seed for surfing's future Olympic inclusion by expressing his dream to see the sport become an Olympic sport while accepting his medal on the podium at the 1912 Games.

Surfing as a sport is broadly divided according to the size and type of the board used. The longboard is around nine feet (2.7m) in length and more buoyant than the shortboard, which first appeared around 1970 and is approximately six feet (1.8m) in length. The shortboard has a pointed tip which aids turning, is quicker to manoeuvre and tends to be receptive to more dynamic techniques. Shortboards will be used at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where 20 men and 20 women will compete in separate competitions