Surfers dazzle as Brazil’s Ferreira and American Moore win sport’s first-ever Olympic gold medals

In what was an epic day for surfing – with sufficient waves, plenty of swell and tough conditions – Brazilian Italo Ferreira and American Carissa Moore will forever be remembered as the sport’s first Olympic champions.

White-capped waves off the shore of Tsurigasaki Beach were in the vicinity of three meters thanks to the swells and large tidal swings created by tropical storm Nepartak, a fate taken advantage of by the Olympic surfers. While the waves were less spectacular during the afternoon medal rounds, contested under a hint of sunshine, the ten-hour day was filled with dramatic scenes, stellar performances and tear-filled celebrations.

Brazilian Italo Ferreira was overcome with emotion pointing towards the heavens and pounding his chest while on his shortboard as soon as it became evident that Olympic gold was his. The flamboyant Ferreira, a 2019 world champion, amped up his celebration uncorking a backflip off the top step of the podium after receiving his gold medal.

“It’s one of the best days of my life,” Ferreira said. “For me, that was a long day. It was a dream come true.”

Ferreira’s opponent Kanoa Igarashi, a Huntington Beach, California surfer representing his native Japan to honor his family, never quite found the perfect waves in the final, but impressed and inspired over the course of the three-day Olympic competition. It was a worthy silver medal for the 23-year-old surfing star with his best waves still to come.

“I really wanted to win a gold medal, but it was frustrating not being able to get on the good waves,” Igarashi said. “Still, I’m glad that I got the silver medal with everyone’s support.

“I said thank you to the God of the sea. I was ready for four years and I thought I did well,” he added.

Aussie, Aussie and Aussie was shouted loudly as members of the Australian team swarmed Owen Wright and then dropped to the sand to salute him after he surfed to a bronze medal. His third-place showing was an inspiring victory considering that the 31-year-old surfer overcame a severe concussion and blood on the brain, the result of a nasty wipe-out in Hawaii in 2015. He made an impressive comeback in 2017.

American Carissa Moore demonstrated dynamic, explosive and creative maneuvers en route to her Olympic title, convincingly defeating South African Bianca Buitendag in the women’s final, 14.93 to 8.96. The dominant surfer from Honolulu, Hawaii and four-time world champion was clearly the class of the field over three days of Olympic competition.

“I’m very proud and honored - it’s been a crazy couple of days, a little bit of a rollercoaster of emotions just trying to figure out the break, find my rhythm, learning how to trust myself without my family here,” Moore said.

“I feel super blessed, super fortunate. It’s been an incredible experience.”

Already a member of surfing’s Hall of Fame at age 28, Moore adds an Olympic gold medal to her collection of 24 pro tour victories.

Twenty-year-old Japanese surfer Amuro Tsuzuki, took advantage of her local knowledge of the swells, defeating American Caroline Marks for the bronze medal.

International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre and IOC leaders agreed to move up medal rounds – from Wednesday to Tuesday – to take advantage of the larger waves. Competitors paddled out at 7 am under menacing clouds, in imposing, churning waters.

Japan’s Igarashi and American star Kolohe Andino had the honors, both testing their creativity on fierce three-meter waves, launching acrobatic aerial maneuvers and kicking off a long, 10-hour day. It was a calculated decision by Aguerre and surfing officials that proved to be the right one.

Aguerre was proud of the surfers, showcasing the sport to the world on the world’s greatest sporting stage.

“Lovely, lovely, lovely day – it was like the strawberry on the cake,” Aguerre tells Around the Rings. “It started with strong wind, sideshore to offshore, later afternoon the wind slowed down, the sun came out and we even had a rainbow.

“We couldn’t have expected more, it was a dream come true,” said Aguerre, the surfing president since 1994. “There were a lot of tears by the athletes, friends, staff and by the ISA president. It was a very emotional day especially during the flower and medal ceremony.”

An interested visitor

IOC president Thomas Bach made the trip to the surfing venue on Chiba Prefecture’s Pacific Coast about an hour and a half southeast of Tokyo, to witness the historic occasion. Bach was accompanied by Tokyo 2020 coordination commission leader John Coates and athletes commission chair Kirsty Coventry.

“They were all there for hours enjoying the new Olympic sport,” Aguerre said of the IOC visitors. “It was great showing them what surfing can do for the Olympic movement, and what surfing can do for mankind.”

Five years has past since Bach congratulated the surfing president as the century old lifestyle sport – after painstaking efforts and perseverance by the Argentine-born surf leader – was finally accepted into the Olympic program at the Rio 2016 IOC session.

Ferreira and Moore are bringing home gold medals to Brazil and the United States, but after three fun and thrilling days of competition and thanks to 40 male and female surfers raising their games in Japan, the sport is the true winner.

Onwards to Paris 2024 and the massive waves of Teahupo’o in Tahiti.

Follow Brian on Twitter - @brian_pinelli

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