IOC formally includes surfing in the 2020 games. Are you thrilled?
This’ll give you a shiver, either good or bad. Today, as expected by everyone, the IOC formally included surfing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“This is a huge moment for professional surfing and further highlights surfing’s rise as a global participatory and spectator sport,” said the WSL’s CEO Paul Speaker.
In the sort of oddly stilted quote you get when quotes go through the PR wash, world number two John John Florence said: “For the sport, being accepted onto the Olympic stage is a great step forward. Surfing continues to grow and seeing it reach the Olympic level is really exciting. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of representing our country if I’m fortunate enough to make the U.S. team.”
On the other side of the ledger, we find Owen Wright.
“Fuck the Olympics,” Owen told Surfer magazine (pre-brain trauma), later expanding on the theme to a reporter from the news agency Reuters: “I think surfing in itself is more of an art form and an expression so I think the Olympic banner doesn’t really suit the sport of surfing. It suits a lot of other sports but I think surfing is more like judging an art work. It’s kind of hard to put it under that one banner. If you had one event and named the Olympic champion? I think in the world surf league we have a bunch of different canvasses, they’re all totally different waves, and by the end of it you get the winner. I think it has to be like that, to have a bunch of different inclusions to get the one champion.”
And you?
Will you cry with the winners and losers on the podium and cast darting eyes at the rippling bodies flexing or will you just… cry?
How the hell is this 2 days old and nobody’s mentioned the theory of this being part 2 of a Slater – Speaker – IOC cabal where our champion’s single-purpose pool will soon be announced as the venue for the games?
it will be very interesting to see WADA constantly testing surfers and skateboarders, bearing in mind that they also do unexpected test.
I predict a great amount of athletes banned for using cocaine as an anabolic.
no here’s the headline, the one I never thought I’d get to write:”Kook Takes Out Olympic Gold!” I think we can all agree that alone would make the whole saga worthwhile
only the weak fear competition
Reeks of an ageing brand attempting to regain relevance.
We can expect Stephen Dank-esque types lurking within local board-rider comp marques henceforth…
Fuck the Olympics!!!
Great Owen!!!
Tks a lot for the right words!!!
The selection of surfers will be interesting. Being the Olympics, presumably it will not simply be the top 20 WSL surfers.
nah. there’ll be a couple of Aussies, a couple of Seppos, and everyone else will get one surfer. Watch half the CT suddenly discover a Slovenian grandmother.
will russia get one? china? latvia? poland? austria? member states all!
one can only hope and pray.
haha can you imagine the show! i will be better than an olympic athlete. you wont be able to control my ego then. i’ll soar like an eagle!
#DrunkenEagle
They better find the fuck out what that means or I’m seriously registering as my own country and doing whatever it takes to get in that wave pool..
So who do you get to write the “Eddie the Eagle/Eric the Eel” surf story? Derek, Chas or Rory?
Who cares who writes it, I’ll be ready, I won’t represent the UK, but Equatorial Guinea I’m cool with, all I need is a bic board, a shorty and booties and we are all set! Jimmy the kook 2020! Can’t fucken wait!
As long as the event is not held at Huntington, there is a chance it can work.
kkkkkkkk the best comment
You know the 2020 games are in Tokyo right? Isn’t that East Huntington?
So have they decided which Pixar cartoon(s) can best promote the games?
Apparently I resemble his less tough younger brother, Napoleon, but all us younger brothers idolise our superior elders, and Kip, well hopefully if I work out a bit, I can aspire to his prowess in the Dojo! Speaking of dojo, another non-sport – Karate – got added to the Olympics, total horseshit! Ah classic – Kid Rocks cover of sweet home Alabama has just come on, maybe it’s time to go home – alone!
4 years for China to prepare is 3 more years than they will need. RIP my local break
As much as I’ll bag it, I’ll be watching come 2020.
Isn’t that the thing with the Olympics, and World Cup for that matter? Despite all of us knowing that its corrupt, built on the backs of modern day slaves and a giant waste of money for the host country, we all watch and are captivated. I hate that but yet I’ll be watching.
“The ISA is recognized by the IOC”. http://www.isasurf.org
I’m just hoping I can pull a Peter Griffin and enter as my own country..
The Duke would undoubtedly approve, but I don’t care, I’m with Owen on this! Sorry if I am highjacking this thread, in a pub – alone – drinking in a corner trying not to look like a sexual deviant, not sure how I’m doing!
owen wright is THE GUY!!!
“Surfing, with 20 men and 20 women athletes, will take place in the sea, instead of on artificial waves, likely in the Prefecture of Chiba.”
Brazil win for sure if it’s in Chiba!
As long as we all remember sports is the best thing every day and second best is trying to do sports and third best is watching sports at the sports and fourth best is watching sports on the sports channel then everything is fine why do I hear blood curdling screams outside the window Dad it’s sports Son sports!
I love Owen more and more everyday.
You would think so but they surf as Hawaii in ISA too. Is this where that all comes to an end is what I’m saying..