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Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, hosts a Surf Town PR monitor tour

July 6th, 2023

Last year, the ‘Kitaizumi Coast’ in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, underwent a successful re-launch as a prominent surf tourism destination. As part of this strategic initiative, Minamisoma City orchestrated a well-structured ‘Surf Town PR Monitor Tour’, featuring the esteemed presence of professional surfers Kenji Miyauchi and Yugo Kawabata. This exclusive tour enabled them to experience the …

Categories: Culture, Places, Spots, Tourism

Riding the wave to recovery: Kitaizumi Surf Festival 2023

June 30th, 2023

The 2023 Surf Paradise Executive Committee recently announced that it will hold a surfing event called the “Kitaizumi Surf Festival 2023 Fukushima Reconstruction Support Beach Event @ Minami-soma” from 16 (Sat) to 18 (Mon) September. Twelve years after the Fukushima disaster, the number of surfers enjoying surfing in the Fukushima area has increased and events …

Japanese women Anon Matsuoka and Kana Nakashio win the women’s QS5,000 and Pro Junior competitions

June 20th, 2023

Japanese athletes Anon Matsuoka and Kana Nakashio emerged victorious in the highly competitive women’s QS5,000 and Pro Junior competitions at the esteemed 2023 Kului Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 5,000 and Pro Junior event. The culmination of this thrilling contest took place on the final day, leaving spectators in awe of the …

Categories: Contests, People

Kanoa Igarashi and Shino Matsuda qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

June 11th, 2023

The eight-day 2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games’ in El Salvador recently came to an end. This year, in addition to the WSG medals, this was an important event for the selection of athletes for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2023 Pan American Games. The 2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA …

Categories: Contests, Olympics, People

Catch the Waves: Discover the Thrills of Surfing in Japan this Summer!

June 3rd, 2023

As the summer sun beckons, surfers around the world are eager to catch the perfect wave and explore new horizons. While places like Hawaii and Australia are well-known for their surfing spots, there’s another hidden gem that deserves your attention: Japan. This summer, consider embarking on a surfing trip to Japan, a destination that offers …

Kanoa Igarashi wins 2nd consecutive title & 1st place to qualify for Paris Olympics Surfing World Games

June 2nd, 2023

The surfing world is abuzz with excitement as Kanoa Igarashi, the sensational young surfer, clinches his second consecutive title and secures the top spot to represent his country in the upcoming Paris Olympics Surfing World Games. With his remarkable skills and unwavering determination, Igarashi has cemented his status as one of the most formidable surfers …

Categories: Contests, Olympics, People

Remembering the Legendary Pro Surfer Naohisa Ogawa

May 28th, 2023

The world of professional surfing is mourning the loss of one of its most revered athletes, Naohisa Ogawa. The legendary pro surfer, known for his unmatched talent and vibrant personality, succumbed to the battle against colon cancer. Naohisa’s untimely demise has sent shockwaves through the Japanese surfing community, leaving a void that will be hard …

Categories: Culture, People

Japan Olympic Surfing venue refusing to cooperate

May 7th, 2021

With fewer than three months left until the Games are set to open, the venue which is scheduled to host the upcoming Japan surfing competition is refusing to cooperate by not setting up COVID-19 testing facilities for athletes. This is creating a few logistical problems for Japan struggling to drum up support for an already …

Categories: Contests, Olympics, Spots

Will surfing have its chance to debut at the Olympics?

February 28th, 2020

A senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that the cancellation of the Olympic Games, is on the cards should the Corona Virus not be contained. Japan is reportedly spending at least $25 billion to put on the games, so there’s a lot at stake here. The IOC’s Dick Pound (yes, that’s …

Categories: Contests, Olympics

Japan to build Surf Stadium before Tokyo 2020

January 14th, 2020

Japan will finally open a wave pool powered by American Wave Machines (AWM) before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Kelly Slater and his WSL will have to take second place to the new Japanese surf lagoon, currently being built in Shizunami, Shizuoka Prefecture, about 280 kilometers from Tsurigasaki Beach, the official venue …

Categories: Spots, Tourism

4 More Surfers Qualify for Tokyo 2020

November 11th, 2019

4 more surfers have secured their places for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics following the Rip Curl Pro in Portugal The USA’s Kolohe Andino, Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, and France’s Jeremy Flores and Johanne Defay will make the trek to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. There is one event remaining on the World Surf League tour schedule. …

Categories: Contests, Olympics

Australia win Aloha Cup at World Surfing Games, Miyazaki

September 12th, 2019

Australia has taken out the Aloha Cup title at the World Surfing Games in Miyazaki Japan. Aussie Ryan Callinan, Owen Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons and Nikki Van Dijk scored a total of 38.19 points to take the win. South Africa won silver with 38.11 points, and the US scored 35.38 for the bronze at the International …

Categories: Contests, Olympics

Olympics One Year Countdown. Surfers test waves at Tsurigasaki.

July 23rd, 2019

The waves have officially been tested for surfing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics! Local competitors tested the waves at Tsurigasaki Beach – located 90 kilometres south-east of Tokyo (2-hour train ride) – the venue for next year’s Olympic surfing debut. This event forms part of the ‘Ready Steady Tokyo’ series of test events. The International Surfing …

Categories: Contests, Olympics, Places, Spots

Citywave Pro WORLD TOUR Tokyo

July 16th, 2019

July 15th and 16th sees the first artificial wave pool world tour in commence in Japan. With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, the popularity of surfing in Japan has skyrocketed, and keen to build on this momentum, organisers have put on the Citywave pro WORLD TOUR in Tokyo. JEEP is sponsoring the event with …

Categories: Contests, Places

Kanoa Igarashi wins first CT event – first for Japan

May 30th, 2019

Kanoa Igarashi became the first Japanese surfer to win a Championship Tour event on Saturday at the Corona Bali Protected. The 21-year-old scored 15.10 points in his final heat, beating France’s Jeremy Flores by 0.47. En the way to winning the third CT event of the season, Igarashi also eliminated Kelly Slater and Adrian Buchan. …

Categories: Contests