Surfing makes its Olympic debut, finally!

It was an incredible and historic moment for surfing and the Olympics as the lifestyle sport made its long awaited Games debut, with surfers on their shortboards taking to the waves off Tsurigasaki Beach early Sunday morning.

The moment comes more than a century since the father of surfing, Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, suggested to the IOC that the sport be included in the Olympics upon winning gold and silver medals in swimming at the 1912 Stockholm Games.

On a postcard-like morning with warm temperatures and sufficient waves, competition began as the first surfers paddled out at 7 a.m. in the waters of Chiba Prefecture’s Pacific Coast southeast of Tokyo.

The first foursome with honors were Japan’s Hiroto Ohhara, Brazilian Italo Ferreira, Italian Leonardo Fiorvanti and Argentine Leandro Usuna. The world champioin Ferreira caught the first Olympic wave as he and Ohhara went 1-2, the top two in each first round heat advancing to Monday’s third round.

Morning wave height averaged 1.2 meters with roughly 10-second intervals in between as numerous competitors performed 360-degree aerial maneuvers, cutbacks and snaps, among other dazzling tricks.

Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi, 23, representing Japan to honor his family’s heritage, was up to the challenge winning heat number two with a tally of 12.77 points. Competitors’ best two waves are counted among five criteria in the judge’s scoring.

Igarashi explained his decision to represent Japan in a podcast with Around the Rings following his Olympic qualification in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020.

“This decision I made to wave the Japanese flag – I have such a strong connection with my family,” Igarashi told. “The story of my family moving to North America to give me the best opportunity to reach my goals to become a world champion, to become a professional surfer, they’ve sacrificed so much for me in life that there is no present in the world, or words in the world, that can express my gratitude towards them.”

Other marquee names struggled to find their rhythm and groove early on as France’s Jeremy Flores, Europe’s most successful pro, finished fourth in the heat won by Igarashi. Two-time world champion John John Florence, competing despite suffering a knee-injury in early May, finished third in heat four.

The veteran French and American surfers were forced to take to the waves once again in the afternoon with the pressure now ramped up. Both needed to finish among the top three of five to avoid elimination in the second round or ‘repechage’ heats, a task that both accomplished with Florence winning his heat and Flores notching second.

The ladies had their moment in the sun following the boys. American four-time world champion Carissa Moore proved why she is one of the world’s best easily winning her opening heat with a score of 11.74 points. Australian veterans Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore respectively won heats two and three.

“Day 1 stokeeee in Surfing’s first ever Olympics. So proud to represent my country alongside my teammates. All through to Round 3,” Fitzgibbons tweeted.

Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb and American Caroline Marks rounded out the opening session with victories in heats four and five. Twenty-one year old Israeli surfer Anat Lelior, who began surfing at age five in Tel-Aviv and has been a popular story in the lead-up to the Games, was unable to advance out of Sunday’s opening two rounds.

International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre summed up what was an emotional opening day.

“I just can’t believe it is the end of the first day of Olympic surfing history and that the Games happened, and that the waves came and the best professionals in the world were here with universal representation,” he tells ATR.

Aguerre noted that among 20 male and 20 female surfers competing 18 countries are represented.

“I cant believe we are going to have two more days of excellent waves - we came to bring love, we came to bring passion, we came to bring youth and in connection with the environment.

“We came because we think we are a perfect fit for the values of the Olympic movement. The surfers of the world are happy. Thank you IOC, thank you Tokyo,” Aguerre said.

The surfers are back in action on Monday at Tsurigasaki Beach with head-to-head dual heats in round three. Winners will advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinals with medal rounds scheduled for Wednesday

Follow Brian on Twitter - @brian_pinelli

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