Under the blue sky and hot sun, surfing made its debut in the Olympics on Sunday, and it has been more than a century since the Duke of Hawaii Kahanamoku first promoted its inclusion in the Olympics.

The activity started early at Tsurigasaki Surf Beach, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Tokyo, where the first surfers paddled under favorable wave conditions.

Brazil’s Italo Ferreira is the 2019 world champion. He learned to surf on the foam box where his father sells fish and caught the first wave at the beginning of the men’s preliminaries.

“Of course, I’m very happy to be here,” Ferreira said, standing on the dark brown sand, dripping with water, beaming.

“This is special for fans and surfers. All surfers watch at home. This is special for everyone,” Ferreira beats Ohara Hiroshi, Leonardo Fior Lavanti and Leandro Usuna told reporters after directly advancing to the third round.

In the women’s game, American Karissa Moore defeated Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot by a narrow margin, and then admitted that she was emotional the day before the game.

“Yesterday, due to all the tension, anxiety and accumulated things, I actually had a little breakdown,” she told reporters.

“Today I feel more calm… No matter what happens, I did everything I could, and now it’s time to have fun.”

For Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association, morning exercises are the culmination of decades of work.

“I can’t take off the mask, but behind the mask is a very happy face,” said Argyll, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, straw hat and shell necklace.

“I believe it is possible, but it is not good for us in many cases. It is so difficult. For decades, there has not been a really clear process.”

The waves on Sunday were bigger than the waves before the game, and Ferreira said they provided “more opportunities” for spectacular moves.

A tropical storm approaching the coast of Japan improved conditions, which could greatly affect the four-day game.

“Everyone can say that they understand the ocean, they have advantages or something, but every wave is different,” said Kanoa Igarashi of Japan. “It’s about adaptation, about who can surf the best under all conditions, I think the winner deserves it.”

Igarashi’s father grew up surfing on the same beach. He is one of the family’s favorite people. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and his face is full of smiles.

During the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Caroline Max (USA) participated in the first round of women’s competition at Tsurazaki Surf Beach [Andrew Nelles/ USA Today Network via Reuters]

But at the Tokyo Olympics, except for a few events, fans were excluded, and the organizers were worried about turning them into super-spreaders of the virus.

Huge obstacles prevented the locals from peeking at the surfers, although a huge sign supporting Japanese female rider Maeda Maeda could be seen hanging on the nearby hill.

The local hotel owner Yamaura Zongji told AFP: “I have a ticket to the final, but we are in a pandemic, so there is nothing we can do.” “Only those who surf here will be excited about it. Those who don’t do this-I Think they don’t welcome it.”

However, the venue is full of excitement, and every surfer is on the Olympic stage for the first time.

“It was an interesting experience and it was great to be here,” said American John John Florence. He failed to pass the first round of preliminaries but still had a chance to pass the rematch later in the day. Qualify.

“I’ve been thinking about it until 2024 and 2028, hoping it can also participate in those Olympics. I think this is great for our sport and I am very happy to be here.”