Olympic Games and Adventure Sports: The Inclusion of Surfing in the Tokyo 2020 edition

Abstract

As a result of the International Olympic Committee’s desire to rejuvenate its fan base and spark the interest of a new generation of spectators, the world witnessed the inclusion of action and adventure sports in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. These sports included sport climbing, skate street, skate park, BMX park and surfing. Focusing specifically on the sport of surfing, this study aims to explore the expectations around its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic programme, nurtured by people relevant to the surfing universe, such as athletes, managers and journalists. This is a descriptive and exploratory study that uses bibliographic and documentary analysis as methodological procedures, along with a semi-structured interview script for qualitative exploratory research, focused on the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic programme. Through the analysis of interview data combined with the information obtained through literature review, we conclude that the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic programme presents possibilities that go beyond rejuvenating its audience; it also has the potential to reaffirm Olympic values.