What are the rules of surfing in the Olympics?
What are the rules of Surfing? In competitive surfing, between two and four athletes contest a heat where they have between 20 and 30 minutes to catch the best waves possible. Observing usual surfing etiquette, only one surfer can ride a wave at a time with the one closest to the peak having right of way. In any round, a surfer is looking to lock-in their two highest-scoring waves. The top single wave score is a 10, for a possible 20-point heat total. There have been eight Perfect 20 heats in the history of the Championship Tour.
What is the priority rule in surfing?
The closest surfer from the peak has priority to catch the wave. To be surfed, a wave must break in a specific spot, called “peak”, and continue breaking to the right or left. If two surfers are paddling to catch the same wave, the closest surfer from the peak has priority. Many beaches have consistent, predictable waves, so it’s easy to see whose turn it is. The surfer that is closest to the peak of the wave, the part where it starts to break, has the right of way for that wave. If you’re not that surfer, stay off the wave.Speed, power, and flow It’s not about how many waves one surfer can catch, but rather the combined total of their highest two scores. Wave selection can be crucial, especially given the unpredictable nature of waves and the ocean. As with any sport tactics also play a big part.