Should surfing be included in the 2020 Tokyo games?
Come 2020, the sport of surfing could be a whole new beast. A lot can happen in five years, especially since the first ever stadium-style surf contest just went down. The Red Bull Unleashed competition at Snowdonia was one step closer to surfing entering the mainstream, a level playing field needed for objective judging, and a bid for the Olympics. And the contest couldn’t have come at a better time.
Next Monday, Sept. 28th the Olympic committee will be deciding on whether or not surfing should be included in the 2020 Tokyo games. And this could be surfing’s year. For a long time, the thought of including surfing in the pinnacle of sporting competition has been hotly debated with proponents on either side. But now that the wave pool revolution has begun, things could change. Olympic sports traditionally depend upon an even playing field – a track, a bobsled course, etc. – and up until now, that has been unfeasible for surfing. Conveniently, the dudes from WaveGarden are currently working on a new location in Kobe, Japan.
Also up for an Olympics bid are baseball, softball, bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, and mushu, not the food but a Chinese martial art. Bowling, seriously? If that gets added to the roster and surfing doesn’t…maybe we don’t want to be in the Olympics.
