Jackson Bunch, waiting for his turn. Photo: Sean Evans/ISA
Feeling skeptical about the Olympics? You’re not alone. Despite Japan’s current stance to press on with the 2020 Tokyo Games, doubt still lingers. Like pretty much everything else on the calendar circa March 2020, the centuries-old Olympic Games – and surfing’s historic debut – is pushing forward, albeit halting.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, and while the world awaits the celebratory kick off with an eyebrow raised, one thing is for sure: whenever surfing finally does have its debut moment, its young Olympic hopefuls will be glued to screens around the world, watching every move on every wave caught by surfing’s universally elite athletes.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine,” said junior pro surfer Bettylou Sakura Johnson, the young phenom who earned a wildcard into last year’s Maui Pro. “To get a gold, I mean, it’s gold! And you’re representing your whole team and an entire country. It’s a really big deal. When you’re surfing in contests, it’s mostly just about you. The Olympics is different because you’re there as a team.”
International Surf Association Junior World title holder Jackson Bunch agreed: “The surfers aren’t just competing for themselves; they’re carrying the countries they represent on their shoulders.”
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Both Bunch and Sakura Johnson eagerly await the kick off. Bettylou will be cheering on Team USA from Costa Rica and Jackson from Nicaragua where both are squeezing in the last of the summer swell before returning to school in Hawaii, awaiting the winter waves.
As the Games unfold, both accomplished young groms will be taking notes for their own promising career goals.
“I would love to compete in the Olympics,” said Bunch, adding that he’d prefer to surf for the Hawaii flag rather than the stars and stripes. A born competitor, Bunch is motivated by the grand stage. “I like competition; the highs, the lows, the focus, and pressure,” he said. “It’s fun. I’m excited to see how surfing plays out in the Olympics and excited [that there is] another venue for competitive surfing.”
Energized and craving more, Bunch is constantly refining his competitive edge, perfecting his skill set.
“I am always training for competition,” he said of his determination to improve. “This year was my last year in amateur events, so now I need to focus on getting stronger to compete with the men. I’m always working on mental and physical strengthening, and I surf a ton.”
As for Sakura Johnson, the teen has already ventured into Olympic territory, spending time in the water alongside Kolohe Andino, Carissa Moore, and the rest of Team USA. “Everyone was really excited for the opportunity; feeling positive vibes and surfing really well,” Bettylou recalled of her recent time catching waves and running mock heats with US Surf Coach Brett Simpson and crew just before their big send-off. And with the 2024 Paris Games a real possibility for the young surfer, it’s never too early to start prepping.
Gabriela Bryan, a 2019 ISA Gold Medalist and future Olympian? Sean Evans/ISA
As the Tokyo Games loom closer, the palpability of anticipation and dubiousness grows. Many have noted the less-than-ideal ocean conditions in which to hold this precedent-setting event, and eagerly await to see how event officials will handle the venue as well as how the athletes will perform. This introductory run of Olympic-level scrutiny will set the standard for future Games, so Bunch, Sakura Johnson, and surfing’s Olympic-hopefuls will be taking close notes as Paris’s 2024 Teahupoo-based opportunity draws nearer.
We’ve heard plenty of grumbling about a predictably unpredictable concern: conditions. “The conditions dictate the setting, to a large extent” said youth-based International Surf Team Coach Andrew Oliver, voicing his widely-shared skepticism for the competition site. “Japan has amazing waves, but it’s season- and condition-dependent, so it could be really challenging.” Still, having worked in the past with several of the athletes that will be in the water through ISA contests, he has bore witness to these Olympians delivering A-game performances in less-than-optimal circumstances. “That’s the main thing that separates the most elite competitors from the qualifiers…just the amount of power they have in really weak waves.”
As we count down the days to Friday’s Opening Ceremony (and add up the Olympic Village COVID count), the surf world awaits, with bated breath, the introduction of the Sport of Kings to its deserved global stage.
