Surfing At The Olympics: Stephen Bell Gives First-Hand Insight
In the blink of an eye, Surfing’s Olympic debut has come and gone. Reigning world champs Carissa Moore and Italo Ferreira took home the golds, cementing their places as best in the world. To learn some more about the event and the general feeling on surfing’s inclusion in the Games, we spoke with Euroglass owner, Stephen ‘Belly’ Bell, who got to experience the event first-hand.
How did the competitors feel about surfing’s inclusion in the Olympics?
Definitely something very special in their careers. All were excited to be a part of it, not only to be representing their country, but to be fully on the world stage.
…and about the contest itself?
The contest itself was run impeccably. With only 20 competitors, it was quite fast compared to a normal WCT, and then with the addition of swell, no one was complaining.
How was the onsite organisation?
Japanese are very particular, and you could feel that they were not going to leave anything to chance. Also, as the site itself had been constructed 18 months earlier, everything was imbedded in the foreshore, which gave you the feeling that most of the structures were permanent. It will be interesting to see what parts of the site they’ll keep permanently for the local community now the event is over.
How well did the format of the event work?
Despite the fact they started on an odd number of competitors and ended up with man-to-man heats, it looked like it worked well; the 5-man heats were not too crowded due to the fact that there were plenty of waves and lots of fair opportunities. I think going forward to Tahiti, 5-man heats are not going to cut it at all so I am sure the organisation will be adjusting that, maybe by increasing the field to 22 surfers??
How do you feel the event differed from other major surfing events?
Nearly surreal with so few competitors, no public, and the size of the organisation itself, you felt it was something special, and then to see the press gallery lined up after each heat made the world feel like a very small place. I like to think that, from this, a few extra people will definitely seek out and watch the final 3 WCT events of the year and then with the possibility of having excellent conditions, it could be a huge win for surfing.
Any views on how it might be improved
Going into Tahiti, to have at least a 10-day waiting period. Just the pressure in the normal WCT events to sometimes run-in subpar conditions can be immense, so with this global media machine that comes with the Olympics, Tahiti will be insane and could just blow the roof off… if they get epic conditions.
Was surfing in the Olympics well received in Japan?
Very hard to say from the athletes and coaches’ perspective. The only people we had any contact with were the organisation, who were amazing in politeness and making us feel so welcome. Due to the quarantine rules, we had zero contact with the general public.
On balance do you feel surfing gained from its inclusion in the Olympics or not?
100%! This is 2021 and surfing is a household sport for anyone that lives near the beach, whether people like it or not, anywhere there’s waves you will find surfers so why not let the world see it? I really feel it was a great event and that it was spectacular for all those that never would have seen surfing in any other form. With the next 3 venues locked in for the Olympic Games, all of which have A-grade quality waves, surfing is here for the long run. Bravo to all and see you from the Chanel in Tahiti!!!!!!
