Get ready to watch the best surfers in the world compete at the 2020 Olympics. Surfing was added "to bring more youthful and vibrant activities into the Olympic program," according tothe Tokyo 2020 website.
There are a variety of boards that can be used to surf but at the 2020 Olympics, the 20 men and 20 women competitors will be required to use a shortboard.
Four athletes will compete at a time, and the best two will advance to the next round. The heat lengths will depend on the condition of the waves but will last around 20 to 30 minutes. Athletes will be able to ride 10 to 12 waves in that time frame and their two highest scores will be counted.
A panel of judges will determine the winners in both the men's and women's competition. Scoring is based on the type and difficulty of the maneuvers performed along with the speed, power, and flow.
Male competitors to watch: John John Florence, Gabriel Medina, Adriano De Souza, and Kolohe Andino.
Female competitors to watch: Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons, and Carissa Moore.