Big news: Surf is an Olympic sport!

It’s official, surf will be part of the next Olympics in Japan. Oh and by the way! Snowboarding, for example, was introduced back in 1998 and do you know what? Yep, snowboard changed the Winter Games for ever, including its similar-like sport: Skiing. It changed the way skiing manoeuvres are judged and even equipment is created.

For most professional surfers and surf federations, it was more than expectable that one day surf would be an Olympic sport as well.

 

So now what?

Surf and 4 other sports (baseball/softball, karate, skateboard and sports climbing) will be part of the Olympic Games in 2020. According to surfer mag and other media: 

• “The event will take place in the ocean, not a wave pool. Venue will be at Chiba, a 45-minute or so train ride from Tokyo;
• 40 competitors in total: 20 men, 20 women;
• High-performance shortboarding only; no longboard, bodyboard, or SUP division;
• Countries from all over the world will be represented, including many surfers not on the WCT”

There’s still plenty of time to learn more contest details and how it’s going to be judged. Will it be similar to the professional circuit and series? How will the athletes qualify and who will compete? How long will be the heats for? etc. 

 

A surfer rides one of the best point break waves in the world - Safi, Morocco

All this will be defined with the course of time, but what’s relevant for now is the fact that this sport and lifestyle will be part of the major sport’s event in the world, boosting surfing as a sport but also as a culture. This event will definitely contribute to raise interest in surfing, from surf brands, public and athletes.

Surfinn to it!

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