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Only a board sport - wakeboard - is listed July 2011: Surfing is not included in the 2020 Olympic Games. September 2015: The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee proposed surfing in Olympic Games The Chronology of Surfing in the Olympic Games Surfing is one step closer to joining windsurfing in the Olympics.ĭiscover the most important dates in the history of surfing, and take a look at some key personalities who shaped the sport of riding waves through time. Kelly Slater, Gerry Lopez, Mick Fanning, Hank Gaskell, Taylor Knox, Gabriel Medina were some of the names who have backed the dream.Īnd the dream is now a reality. Hopefully, the critics will join the party.Īguerre is surely not alone in the celebrations. However, surfing is writing a new page in its rich history book. In the last 20 years, surfers lost five Olympic bids - Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and Brazil - and many questioned the sport's ability to influence the IOC. The treacherous adventure into the Olympic movement started in 1992 when former ISA leader Jacques Hele started lobbying for surfing in the international sports arena. "I don't believe that the soul of surfing requires it to be an elite sport for the lucky few who live near the ocean's waves." The president of the governing body for the sport of surfing has a final word for the purists. The ISA boss believes that surf pools will "provide opportunities for the integration of diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and age groups long after the Games have moved on." They are a very relevant part of our youth culture and serve as inspirational figures, naturally representing Olympic values." A Long RunĪguerre has always supported wave-making technologies as a natural path towards the Olympic Games. "Surfers are a strong and positive influence on young people around the world. There are now over 35 million surfers worldwide!" wrote Aguerre. Surfing is pursued in every corner of the world, in more than a hundred countries. "Surfing is truly a global sport, more popular and more widely practiced than many current Olympic sports. His arguments are valid and understandable. The president of the International Surfing Association (ISA) has been fighting for the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic Games for more than a decade. However, the biggest winner here is clearly Fernando Aguerre. The so-called purists of the sport have often shown antipathy towards the idea the progressivists embraced and supported it. It's been a long discussion - should surfing be included in the Olympic movement? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should confirm the new sports at the 129th IOC Session, in Rio, in August 2016.
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Surfing - alongside skateboarding, karate, sports climbing, and baseball/softball - has been proposed by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to enter the Olympic Games. The historic decision was announced by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee on September 28, 2015. There will be two events for 20 male surfers and 20 female surfers. It's official: the sport of surfing has been proposed to take part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.