Photo: Surf Nation//Screenshot
Yang Siqi was just six years old when surfing was chosen as a future Olympic sport and set for a 2020 debut in the international competition. She never even saw the ocean until she was nine and within a matter of years, Siqi became her home country’s first-ever athlete to qualify as an Olympic surfer. It was a fast rise for a nation to establish a training program (in 2018) and then send an athlete to the Games, all in a sport that isn’t exactly woven into its cultural fabric.
China’s debut on surfing’s Olympic stage will shine the spotlight on one surfer this summer but the program back home will still be at work training more athletes.
Surf Nation, which premieres today on WORLD Channel, has turned a camera on China’s Olympic surf program since 2019 when Siqi first joined. The new documentary follows two other Olympic hopefuls, 17-year-old Alex and 22-year-old Lolo as they train, compete, and travel the world.
“This story transcends China’s quest for an Olympic medal,” said co-director Jessica Q. Chen. “It’s about youth in China challenging societal norms and finding what truly matters to them.”
“When I learned that China had created an official sports academy to teach surfing and to eventually compete for Olympic medals, I wondered how the rebelliousness inherent in the sport’s culture would be preserved inside a structured environment,” added co-director Jeremiah Bogert. “Would young people inside this academy see surfing as a way to establish themselves as individuals?”
