Surfing

In surfing the athlete stands up on a board and rides an ocean wave, performing manoeuvres that judges score for difficulty, speed and power. Since waves and weather change at every event, adapting to nature is essential.

History

Surfing was part of ancient Polynesian and Hawaiian culture. In the early twentieth century the Hawaiian Olympic swimming champion Duke Kahanamoku introduced it to the world. The International Surfing Association (ISA) was founded in 1964. Surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, and in 2024 the competition was held on Tahiti's famous Teahupo'o wave.

Major competitions

The Olympic Games, the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, the ISA World Surfing Games and big-wave contests.

Surfing in the Turkic world

Türkiye's Black Sea coast — Kilyos and Şile near Istanbul — has the country's main surf spots, while windsurfing and kitesurfing are widespread on the Aegean. Wind and wave sports are also growing on the Caspian coasts of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.