Surfing’s big Olympic show at the death-defying Teahupoʻo could mean big things for local surfers — and could earn a newfound respect for the sport from the mainstream.
San Clemente surfer Griffin Colapinto at the Tahiti Pro in 2022 in a huge barrel. The no. 1 ranked surfer will again compete at the event, this time with younger brother Crosby Colapinto, a rookie on the World Tour. Griffin is also one of two male surfers for Team USA at the upcoming Olympics to be held at the same location.
Surfer Griffin Colapinto, center, stands on a bar stool to greet dozens supporters during a surprise send-off celebration for him and surfer Caroline Marks at HH Cottons in San Clemente on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Colapinto and Marks will be leaving to join the 2024 Team USA Olympic surfing team in Tahiti.
Surfer Griffin Colapinto, center, holds Harper, 4-months-old, and her parents Zach Krotje, left, Katie Krotje, Colapinto’s cousin, during a surprise send-off celebration for surfers Griffin Colapinto and Caroline Marks at HH Cottons in San Clemente on Thursday, July 18, 2024 before they leave to join the 2024 Team USA Olympic surfing team in Tahiti.
Surfer Caroline Marks, center, is laughs with friends and supporters after her and surfer Griffin Colapinto were surprised with a send-off celebration at HH Cottons in San Clemente on Thursday, July 18, 2024 before they leave to join the 2024 Team USA Olympic surfing team in Tahiti. But the ripple effect of surfing in the Olympics goes beyond just hometown pride; it could have a wave of impacts for the sport – from changing a longtime stigma as a lifestyle rather than a serious athletic sport, to spreading the stoke of surfing to places far from the coast and further fueling the entire surf industry.
San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto surfs Teahupoʻo, a massive wave in Tahiti where the 2024 Olympics will be held. “Some people say it’s an artistic thing, it’s not a sport. I’m on the other side of that,” Parsons said. “I do see the artistic side of surfing, of course, but I love the athletic side of it. That it’s on this stage, and they can make a great living from a sport. The endorsement deals weren’t huge when I was on I like to see that side of it.”
During the San Clemente celebration, Surfing Industry Members Association Executive Director Vipe Desai said the Olympics is not only a huge opportunity for these athletes, but for surfing in general, which has had a surge of participation in recent years. “This is a time to surf for your team and country,” Mitch Colapinto said, noting that surfing is typically an individual sport.
While he hasn’t had the best contest results there, recent social media videos posted show him and brother Crosby, also on the elite World Tour, charging the explosive wave, navigating the deep barrel behind the thick lip of the ocean as it folds onto the shallow reef.
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