In the picture, a female surfer sliding on a wave with her board.
SPORTS

Surfing

Surf is an Acuatic sport that consist in balancing over a specialized board that moves over the waves.

During the competition, surfers choose the direction, and it must be followed by all participants, whether it be left or right, based on their priority and according with the rules of priorities and interferences. If they are not followed, the competitor will be penalized. In #Santiago2023 Surf offers quota places for the next Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In the picture, a male surfer making a stunt with his board.

History

In 1778, an expedition of Captain James Cook was navigating from Tahiti to North America and found a group of unknown islands, which would later be called Hawaii islands.

The expedition docked on the islands with the aim to draw them on the map and register their characteristics, as well as the customs and way of life of its inhabitants. With the death of Captain Cook, Lieutenant James King took over the expedition, and in the ship’s diary, he registered the first ever written reference about surf…

“The most common way of entertainment is upon the water, where there is a very great sea, and the waves crash on the shore. Men between 20 and 30 years old head into the sea dodging the waves, they lay flat upon an oval piece of plank about their size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, and they use their arms to guide the plank. They wait for a while until bigger waves come, then altogether push forward with their arms to keep on its top, and it sends them in with an astonishing velocity”.

Surf was popularized by Duke Kahanamoku, from Hawaii, who won three gold medals in swimming in the Stockholm 1912 and Antwerp 1920 Games. Kahanamoku is considered the father of modern surf and planted the seed for its future inclusion in the Olympic Games.

In the picture, a male surfer making a stunt with his board.

How do you compete?

A panel of judges determines the performance of each surfer on the waves, with a score that goes from 1 to 10. Up to two decimals are accepted (e.g.: 8,51). Scores are based on the difficulty of the maneuvers performed. This includes speed, power, and the flow of each performance.

EVENTS TO BE PERFORMED:

Female and Male Open Surf, a combination of various styles and modalities performed in small and mid-sized waves, is made on a shortboard.

Female and Male SUP Surf, it is very similar to the short board, the difference being that a paddle is used and maneuvers performed have a score that defines the winner.

Female and Male SUP Race, is a technical race with an approximate distance of 3 to 18 kilometers that includes technical elements of stand up paddle tales. The scoring is registered by time.

Female and Male Longboard, this is the longest board, where stunts are performed and scored by judges.

Quiz

How many events are there in Surf?

Check answer

Information for the community

One of the great privileges of our country is access to the sea from its northernmost border to its southernmost islands. Therefore, the Chilean coastline, especially in Pichilemu, is highly visited by national and international surfers and has hosted several world-class events. If you want to start practicing this sport you will need a board, a wetsuit, and good waves. We recommend visiting the list of federated clubs to start practicing this sport http://www.fechsurf.cl/clubes

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