André Tavares
PhD student in Communication at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil. He conducts research on media and sports with an emphasis on mediatization and commodification, discourses, representations, race, gender, urban spaces, surfing and wave pools.
E-mail: andretavares@gmail.com
In its second appearance at the Summer Olympics, surfing allowed audiences to witness both the best and the worst of competitive surfing. Held nearly 16,000 kilometers from Paris, the competitions took place in Tahiti, a French overseas territory renowned for its Teahupo’o waves. Known for hosting a stage of the World Surfing Championship, the Tahiti Pro features powerful, barreling lefts that break over a shallow and perilous reef. The site was chosen not only for the quality of its waves but also for the opportunity to engage French communities across the sea.
Despite the competition venue being planned to protect the island’s extraordinary natural environment during the “greenest” games in history, a controversy emerged before the first day of competition regarding the construction of a new judging tower. The local community united to protest the replacement of the old wooden tower, citing the environmental impact that the new aluminum structure could have on local coral reefs. In response to pressure from residents, environmental groups, and the local mayor, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to modify the original plan, including accommodating some competitors on a cruise ship during the Games. However, this incident highlighted how an event of this magnitude can obscure environmental issues behind the banner of sustainability.
Throughout the competitions, further controversies arose, including the policy employed by the International Surfing Association (ISA) for the distribution of athletes in heats and the removal of an Australian judge following the release of a photograph of him with Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and national team coach Bede Durbidge. According to the ISA executive committee, “the judge’s behavior was inappropriate, and to protect the integrity and fairness of the competition, the decision was made to remove the judge from the panel.”
What was undoubtedly made clear in this edition is the role that nature’s unpredictability plays in competitive surfing. Due to the ocean conditions, the event was postponed several times, and the finals were only held on the last day of the waiting period. In addition to the usual fans of the sport, millions of people around the world, including Brazil, were able to observe both the best and worst wave conditions during the championship. In the men’s third round, perfect waves provided a true spectacle of surfing that included a score of 9.9 from Gabriel Medina following an incredible tube ride. The image of the surfer airborne after the tube with a finger raised to signify “number one” went viral on social media. Conversely, a heat occurred that experienced a 17-minute lull without waves.
In this regard, surfing remains a controversial sport—captivating and appealing, especially to younger audiences, yet exceedingly challenging to broadcast and fit into television programming schedules due to the dependence on weather conditions for competitions to occur. This is why, despite the organizers’ efforts to hold surfing events in locations associated with surf culture, such as Tahiti, as well as potential sites like Los Angeles or Brisbane, Australia, it is likely that Olympic surfing will sooner or later be conducted in wave pools. In a predictable and controlled environment, where each surfer has the opportunity to surf the same number of identical waves, competitions and judgments can be ostensibly fairer.
Although the official site for the Los Angeles 2028 Games has yet to indicate the next location for Olympic surfing, rumors are already circulating online regarding possibilities such as Huntington Beach, Venice, San Clemente, and Trestles. However, athletes like Filipe Toledo and Gabriel Medina have already expressed their preference on social media for competitions to occur in pools. Medina stated, “The wave pool would be fairer because it would give everyone the opportunity to show their best.” Toledo remarked, “I love the ocean, and I don’t think anything surpasses nature! But when it comes to the Olympics, I think it would be the fairest way! Everyone would have enough chance to put their best into the wave!”
What may happen to Olympic surfing after the Tahiti edition? A longer waiting period? Changes in judging criteria to make them less subjective? Or the certainty of man-made waves? In that case, Olympic surfing could evolve into a new category of sport—a form more akin to a rehearsed choreography, resembling artistic gymnastics.
