Sydney based surfer and Art/Law student, Jack The Genius, on why surfing should be in the Olympics.

The four (possible) disciplines of surf. Real deal, stationary wave, novelty and man-on-man pool battles.

Is it simply just me or is everyone else feeling a bit envious seeing our beanie-clad, extreme sporting brethren carving and launching in pursuit of Olympic gold at the Vancouver Winter Games? Wouldn’t it be awesome to see surfing garner as much international coverage and to see surfing’s best honoured alongside the rest of the world’s greatest athletes?

I reckon it is about time that the international surfing community genuinely considered the prospect of supporting a bid for surfing to become the latest summer Olympic sport. Now I can already hear the snide remarks about how this would finally cause surfing to officially ‘sell out’ or to ‘over commercialise’, but if one considers the sport’s position and it’s likely trajectory over the next few decades, the idea really shouldn’t be dismissed too lightly.    

Look at it this way. Surfing has gradually grown from its humble beginnings into a $19-billion dollar industry with millions of devotees around the globe. We now have an established competitive World Tour – not to mention well-developed Qualifying and Junior circuits – solid cash prizes, devoted magazines, enthusiastic sponsors and just recently television coverage! This success has startlingly created much tension within the surfing world. While many are stoked with the increased coverage, better products and more prize money, at the same time they are dissatisfied with the overwhelming emergence of surf schools, kooks and overcrowding in general. This tension has the potential to rip the sport apart.       

Instead of allowing the surfing industry to casually meander along while these issues begin to reach their boiling points, the ASP should be proactive in moving the sport forward by embracing its new global market and taking suitable measures to prepare itself for the coming onslaught.

By piloting surfing as a demonstration sport at the Summer Olympics, the sport would be finally embracing its global appeal and could attract the mainstream commercial opportunities which its constituents have long deserved. It would also pave the way for a greater awareness of surf etiquette. Why deal with the problems of a globalised, commercial sport whilst not enjoying the fruits that can accompany it?

Sure, the perennial issue of the swell not turning up is a problem, but competitions such as the Boost Mobile Pro always deliver a spectacle whether they are held in 1ft or 6ft. Also, snowboarding has demonstrated that a sport can maintain its artistic flair even while being recognised as an Olympic sport. In no way has the global spotlight impinged upon the freestyle antics of hundreds of international snowboarders who continue to go higher and faster simply for the thrill of it.

At least it’ll give us Aussies a realistic chance of beating the Yanks at something outside the pool. Plus, we’ve got no choice since the clubbies have already got there first in 1900!  

Jack Horder