(Reuters) – The 2020 Tokyo Olympics includes 33 sports. Surfing is one of five new sports introduced or reintroduced to the Games this year.
Here are some key facts about Olympic surfing:
Inaugural year: This is the first time surfing has been included in an official Olympic programme.
Its inclusion is more than a century in the making: Duke Kahanamoku, a three-time gold medalist in swimming who is widely considered the father of modern surfing, first argued for the sport to be included in the Olympic programme in 1912, according to the International Surfing Association.
Events: There will be a men’s and a women’s event, with 20 on each side expected to compete on Tsurigasaki Beach, roughly 92 km (57.17 miles) south-east of Tokyo.
Scoring and rules: Competitors will use shortboards, with each riding no more than 25 waves per heat. Each surfer’s two highest-scoring waves from each heat are counted, with judges using a criteria that includes degree of difficulty and the types of maneuvers completed.
Technique: The tube ride is the most recognizable trick, involving a surfer gliding underneath the arc of a wave. Aerial maneuvers in which surfers perform a variety of spins and flips, some inspired by skateboarding, are also common.
Sources: International Olympic Committee, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, International Surfing Association, USA Surfing
Graphics: https://graphics.reuters.com/OLYMPICS-2020-SURFING/0100B5D53GH/SURFING.jpg
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Ken Ferris)
