Surfing has a particularly long history, with the activity thought to have originated in Polynesia hundreds of years ago. Today, it is a sport enjoyed by millions worldwide, having been brought to global attention by Hawai’ian Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku in the early 20th century. Current surfing hotspots include Australia and the west coast of the United States; the
How big is the global surfing market?
Surfing is a billion-dollar industry across the world. The
market size of the global surfing industry is forecast to reach almost five billion U.S. dollars by 2027, while the
size of the global surfing tourism industry is set to see an 80 percent increase by 2032. As with many sports, the surfing industry was deeply impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the
International Surfing Association’s revenue from events plummeting in 2020.
Is surfing an Olympic sport?
Surfing was included for the first time at the
2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, with the event taking place a year later due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gold medal for the women’s event was picked up by Hawai’ian surfer Carissa Moore, who was also the
highest ranking female surfer in the WSL Championship Tour as of August 2022. Surfing is also set to feature in the 2024 Paris games, where it will break the previous record for the
Olympic event held the furthest away from the host city. There has also been a push to include para surfing at the 2028 Paralympic Games. Adaptive surfing, to give it its other name, is also a popular sport, with the
worldwide Adaptive Surfing Championships attracting 70 participants from across the world in 2021.
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