If you’re wondering how surfing might work in the Olympics in 2020, look no further than the ISA World Surfing Games. The event concluded over the weekend in Playa Jacó, Costa Rica. And while millions if not billions tuned in to the Olympics in Rio, a group of surfers were competing for their respective nations in Central America, making history as the first group to do so since surfing’s official inclusion in the list of events to descend on Tokyo in 2020.
Peru emerged as the team world champ, the second time the South American nation clinched a gold in three years. American Tia Blanco won a repeat gold medal, and Leandro Usuna from Argentina also won his second gold in three years.
Unlike the WSL championship tour, the ISA World Surfing Games is an annual contest. Surfers aren’t paid. And they compete for medals and bragging rights on behalf of their nations. Athletes are also selected by their national surf team, as opposed to qualifying as individuals. The result is a breadth of national representation, perhaps even a few unexpected teams.
“Twenty-seven nations came together from around the world to surf in this history-making ISA World Surfing Games, for a phenomenal week of surfing and team camaraderie, ” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre in a press release. “Since 1964, the ISA has been the global surfing stage for all the surfing nations. And this event has been the very first one after the IOC inclusion of Surfing into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Now all surfers in the world, have the chance of becoming Olympians, the first ever Olympic surfers.”
With so much pessimism surrounding Olympic inclusion of surfing, it’s worth re-stating that the ISA has been in the business of surfers competing on behalf of their nations for some time. And a lot of questions swirling through the surf community have already been answered, i.e.: How will landlocked countries be able to compete? Answer: There are already a handful of countries that have found a way, like Switzerland. How many countries actually surf? Answer: As Fernando said, the ISA World Surfing Games included 27 countries, and in four years’ time there are bound to be even more. What about whether or not top athletes will even be interested in competing on behalf of their country? Answer: The World Surfing Games have already proven to draw many top athletes, and perhaps the Olympic stage will be a larger draw for WSL-level surfers.
If the above video is any indication, the level of excitement on the beach this year for the World Surfing Games was staggering. Hundreds if not thousands of spectators on the beach. Not only does this demonstrate Olympic surfing is viable, it’s an early indication that it will be a success.
A huge congratulations to Peru, Tia Blanco, and Leandro Usuna!
