Joe Surf: Olympics add surfing for 2020

I think the statue of Duke Kahanamoku in front of HSS on the corner of PCH and Main just cracked a smile.

A five-time Olympic medalist as a swimmer, Duke pushed for surfing to become an Olympic sport. That was more than 100 years ago.

But just last week, the International Olympic Committee voted in favor of adding surfing to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020. Details are still being worked out, but I’ve read that there will be just 40 surfers in the competition, 20 in the men’s contest and 20 in the women’s.

So it’ll be interesting to see just how many surfers from each country make their respective team. Another curious aspect is Hawaii: Will the Hawaiians want to surf independently, like they are labeled in most international competitions today? Or will they be a part of the U.S. team?

A big issue with surfing in the Olympics is finding a wave in or near the host city. It wasn’t a huge issue with Japan. Surfline meteorologists spent time in Japan scouting potential competition sites, and came up with Shidashita Beach in Chiba, Japan and recommended the site to the IOC.

Surfing a real wave instead of in an artificial wave pool is certainly the preferred way to go, but that isn’t necessarily how it will be in the future with the continued development of the wave pools and the landlocked host cities (I think Kelly Slater just cracked a smile, too).

The early favorites have to be the Brazilians, right? Or is it the Aussies? Of course if they combine the mainland U.S. with Hawaii, they will be a force as well.

Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi is interested in surfing the Olympics, and he will be a favorite in Japan, provided he makes the U.S. team. His parents are from Japan but moved to Santa Monica just before Igarashi was born, so I’m not sure if he could surf for Japan if he didn’t make the U.S. team.

“It’s an exciting time for surfing right now,” Igarashi told worldsurfleague.com. “It’s really exciting for me and my family, and for my sport.

USA! USA!

We may have to wait four years to see surfing in the Olympics, but international team surfing competition is underway right now in Costa Rica, where the International Surfing Assn. (ISA) World Surfing Games are taking place through the weekend.

There are teams from 26 countries, each team consisting of four men and four women. The United States team is made up of Kevin Schulz, Colt Ward, Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza, Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson, Tia Blanco and Maddie Peterson.

Simpson got off to a fast start, winning his four-man heats in both Rounds 1 and 2 and advancing to Round 3. Schulz (first) and Ward (second) also advanced into Round 2 but failed to advance to Round 3, moving instead into the Repechage bracket along with Rapoza.

In the women’s competition, Blanco and Peterson each won their Round 1 heats. Blanco took second in Round 2 and moved to Round 3, while Peterson took third in Round 2 and moved to the Repechage.

Fernando Aguerre, president of the ISA, is currently in Rio for the Olympics following the IOC decision earlier in the week to add surfing to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

Aguerre was able to watch the early heats of the World Surfing Games online and was happy with what he saw.

“What an amazing start to the competition,” Aguerre told isaworlds.com. “I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm from the local Costa Rican surfing fans who numbered well into the thousands. They supported their surfers all day long and showed the utmost respect and sportsmanship for the visiting nations throughout the whole day of competition.

“As I watched the national flags of each country present in Jacó, I had glimpses of the future of our sport on the world’s greatest sporting stage, the Olympics. In 2020 many of these athletes will have the chance to raise their flags again in Tokyo.”

ATTENTION ALL BODYSURFERS

Chubascos will host its ninth annual Bodysurfing and Handplaning Championships this weekend, Friday through Sunday at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

Chubascos is working with the HB Junior Lifeguard program and other programs from all over the state to encourage young swimmers to enter.

The contest is free for competitors 19 and under and $40 for 20 and up. Last year they had 250 contestants who received T-shirts, pizza and awards.

The age-group categories for bodysurfing include 12 and under; boys 13-15; boys 16-19; girls 13-19; women 20 and up; men 20-39; men 40-59; and men 60 and up. Age groups for handplaning is co-ed 19 and under; co-ed 20 and up.

To sign up go to chubascosbodysurf.com or call (714) 374-6345.

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JOE HAAKENSON is a Huntington Beach-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at joe@juvecreative.com.