The Olympics and Surfing in 2024

Well, simply put, it’s the biggest sporting event on the planet reaching millions of people and is the event that sees everyday people compete at an elite level on the world stage.

It’s also got many events that are ocean and water-based sports so it’s super important to us! Surfing sees its second outing as an Olympic Sport and whilst we are yet to have any British-based athletes competing in this category, we are excited to see what the world makes of the sport we love so much.

In a sometimes-controversial decision, the surfing is being held on the French Overseas Territory of Tahiti at the world-famous Teahupo’o which led to many discussions around towers, housing the athletes and the nature of the wave for many athletes not on the Championship tour who may not have surfed it previously. Those discussions aside, it puts surfing on the world stage and opens many to its wonder.

However, it’s not just all about surfing, there’s rowing, canoeing, swimming, and sailing! So many sports are based in, on and around water. Why is it relevant?

We believe the more time you spend in bodies of water, especially those in nature, the more likely you are to want to preserve and protect that water in whatever ways you can.

We can see this with Olympian Imogen Grant, who we interviewed earlier in the year about the water quality as a professional rower and the impact that has on her as an athlete but also how it has inspired her to use her platform to raise awareness and help create change.

Sport has an incredible power to unite us in a common cause and what better cause than protecting the water we rely on?

The history of SAS is all about the desire to protect our water so we can surf safely in clean water and we are still here fighting this today.

Athletes have a really powerful role to play in not only leading by example but also in reaching often millions with their message. We contacted GB Surfing to ask them what they thought about surfers [in this case], using their platform to discuss things like sewage and plastic pollution in our waterways and ocean, and here is what they shared with us:

“Surfing is one of the few sports which provides a true sense of adventure where you are at one with nature experiencing an ever-changing environment. 

  For those watching the Olympics this week, even without appreciating the incredible skill level of the men and women competing, the aesthetic backdrop of Teahopo’o in Tahiti is absolutely stunning and will showcase the thrill of being in the ocean, not just for sport, but for everyday health and wellbeing.

 It is therefore vital that we use our platform, and work with our surfers, to highlight these incredible locations and their surrounding ecosystems.  Surfing is a sport for everyone, and unlike other sports, our arena is your arena, and we all have an opportunity to preserve and protect it. It is however our role, working with incredible organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage, to help draw attention to the issues and then educate and promote the steps we all must take.” Will Nelson, GB Surfing

 

We are really looking forward to working with GB Surfing more in the future as we all come together for our ocean.

We will also be cheering them on as the quest for LA2028 is firmly in their sights!