Surfing

Surfing has been around for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. It was first popularized in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands in the 19th century and came to California in the early 20th century. By the 1960s, it had become a popular meme in Hollywood movies and rock songs, notably those by the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. The first well-known surfer was the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku.

At the 129th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016, surfing was approved as a new sport for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with a shortboard event for both men and women. It was one of four new sports added to the Olympic Programme for Tokyo, including karate, skateboarding, and sport climbing.

Surfing remained on the Olympic Programme for Paris 2024, as an optional sport for the host nation. This time, the sport was contested in Tahiti, in French Polynesia, the venue the farthest from the main host city in Olympic history. Los Angeles 2028 will introduce new changes to the programme, including the permanent addition of skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing as core Olympic sports.

As of 2024, Olympic surfing is led by the United States, with two golds, and by Brazil, with a full set of medals. So far, no surfer, male or female, has won more than one medal at the Olympic Games.

Surfing is governed by the International Surfing Association (ISA), which was originally named the International Surfing Federation (ISF) between 1964 and 1973. As of 2024, the ISA had 116 member nations.