Incredible action as Olympic surf conditions go from flat to 'phat'
After two days of pretty pathetic waves that looked more like shore breakers on Port Phillip Bay, the surf at the Olympic surfing venue of Tsurigasaki Beach, is now worthy of the world's best surfers.
Or in other words, it's gone from flat to what you might call "phat" – as in "sick", as in good. (Please excuse us if we're getting the cool kids jargon horribly wrong. We are but humble weather lovers.)
Anyway this is what the surf looked like on Tuesday morning, and didn't Brazilian former world champ Italo Ferreira make it look easy.
Did this deserve a perfect ten? �🇧🇷#Tokyo2020 | #7Olympics | #Surfing pic.twitter.com/rSTLL7CJ2P
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) July 26, 2021
His compatriot Gabriel Medina, a dual world champ, didn't do too badly either. The Brazilians really are dominating the men's competition right now.
GABRIEL MEDINA IS ON FIRE 🔥
— 7Olympics (@7olympics) July 27, 2021
An 8.33 for this ride! 🇧🇷�#Tokyo2020 | #7Olympics | #Surfing pic.twitter.com/rSoa4Tud2D
But no matter who wins gold, the real hero of the Tokyo 2020 surfing comp has got to be this weather system in the image below.
It's a western Pacific tropical storm which, thankfully, is tracking well north of Tokyo and surrounds.
But the system generated strong enough winds to whip up a lovely swell in the vicinity of about two metres.
The surf is a little messy, and the murky water is hardly inviting to the eye, but ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a swell that is finally putting on a show – or at least allowing the world's best surfers to do that.
And for those interested, the beach is located just southeast of Tokyo.
Image: So Japan is a ski AND surf hotspot now, apparently, Source: Google maps.
Meanwhile, temperatures should remain warm in Tokyo for the next week or so of Olympic competition, with top temps in the low to mid thirties, and the chance of showers towards the weekend and into the new week.