Surfing, Welcome to the Olympics

Photo Credit: Justin Jung

For the first time in history, surfing premiered as an opportunity for chasing Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Suggested by Duke Kahanamoku to be included in the 1912 Stockholm Games, and realized by the efforts of ISA's Fernando Aguerre a hundred years later, surfing has officially found its way onto the biggest sporting stage.

The format, foreign to what we're used to seeing in WSL competitions, consisted of three rounds climaxing in a quarters, semis, and finals. The venue, Tsurigasaki Beach, about 40 minutes from Tokyo, is known as one of the most consistent breaks on the Chiba peninsula. The competition took place over four days during an eight-hour window, determined by wave and weather conditions.

From Ecuador's Dominic Barona's Olympic rings tattooed on her wrist to Peru's Lucca Mesinas's flag-carrying honor, competitors representing eighteen countries shared dream-come-true-type moments.

This historic occasion carries significance for all those involved in the sport of surfing. We, as board builders, take particular pride in having worked with the best riders and shapers in the world to create quivers prepped for the ultimate stage.

Photo:  Leandro Usuna (Argentina)

With Dark Arts construction under their feet, Tatiana Weston Webb (Brazil), John John Florence (USA), Manuel Selman (Chile), and Leandro Usuna (Argentina) made us and their countries proud! 

We like to think this is just the beginning for the sport of surfing.