ISA President Fernando Aquirre talks Olympics & ISA

Interview with ISA President Fernando Aguirre

You’ve been working hard to get surfing into the Olympics.
What’s the likelihood of that happening, and what needs to be done before it does?

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 July, 2012 : - - We spend hundreds of hours per year developing the very complex Olympic Surfing project. It’s a long term goal that includes dozens of stakeholders and involved parties all over the world. Getting surfing into the Olympics is something the Duke Kahanamoku asked for in 1920.

I believe surfing is a unique sport and culture, one that will completely and positively change the Olympics, and it’s totally in synch with the true spirit of Olympism. I’m an idealist, but also a practical person. My eyes are looking up and away, but my feet are on the ground, so I’m very aware of the substantial hurdles on ourway for Olympic participation, but at the same time, I believe this will happen during my lifetime. I don’t care if it’s under my watch or not. That is irrelevant.

Surfing deserves to be in the Olympics, and the Olympics need surfing, just like the Winter Olympic Games needed snowboarding. One of the biggest hurdles is the mastering of man-made waves. They already exist, but due to the lack of proper funding, there are not that many man made waves, and truly Olympic/World Championship man-made waves are not in existence today. But with the right amount of money, they will be made.

Listen, the Beijing Games organizers spent 70 million dollars building the kayak water rapids for their Games. London will be spending 40 for the same project. With a fraction of that, we could build a world class man-made wave.

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Source: The Inertia

Author: Alexander Haro

Tags: ISA, President Fernando Aguirre

Olympics: Surfersvillage