Surfing is one of the handful of judged sports at the Olympics, so how exactly do surfers earn points during competition?
Surfing made its debut appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and was one of the highlights of the Games.
The competition is now one of the most anticipated sports for Paris 2024.
The surfing competition will not take place in France, but in Tahiti, a French Polynesian island located in the Pacific Ocean.
Here's all the info to know about the sport ahead of the Olympics:
When does Olympic surfing start?
Surfers who are lucky enough to carve up waves for a medal at the 2024 Olympics will do so across four days from Saturday, July 27 to Tuesday, July 30.
What is the 2024 Olympic surfing schedule?
The below Olympic schedule for surfing is in Eastern Standard Time, which is six hours ahead of the local time in Tahiti.
| Date | Event | Time (ET) |
| July 27 | Men's Round 1 (8 Heats) Women's Round 1 (8 Heats) | 1-10:30 p.m. |
| July 28 | Women's Round 2 (8 Heats) Men's Round 2 (8 Heats) | 1-10:30 p.m. |
| July 29 | Men's Round 3 (8 Heats) Women's Round 3 (8 Heats) | 1-10:30 p.m. |
| July 30 | Men's Quarterfinals Women's Quarterfinals Men's Semifinals Women's Semifinals Men's Bronze Medal Match Women's Bronze Medal Match Men's Gold Medal Match Women's Gold Medal Match | 1-10:50 p.m. |
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How to watch Olympic surfing in 2024
Surfing at the 2024 Paris Olympics will air on NBC and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms starting on Saturday, July 27.
- Dates: July 27 - July 30
- Medal events: Men's and women's shortboard
- Venue: Teahupo'o, Tahiti
- TV channels: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app
Where will Olympics surfing be held?
Surfing heats will take place 9,000 miles from Paris on the beaches of Teahupo'o, which hosts one of the stages of the World Surf League (WSL).
Iconic, heavy, and extreme — as far as surfing waves go, Teahupo'o is as spectacular as it can get.
The competition will take place off the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
It is a highly regarded surf site, known for waves both breathtakingly beautiful and punishingly tricky for even the most skilled riders.
What impact will the waves in Teahupo'o have on Olympic surfing?
Teahupo'o is a left-hand break, so the wave peels to the surfers' left.
This means when a surfer is paddling to catch the wave, they must turn to the left to ride along the wave. It also means goofy footers are better suited here, because they typically prefer to go left.
A goofy footer is a surfer who doesn't have a regular stance and plants their right foot forward, left foot back.
So, when we think about Paris 2024, this wave is well suited to goofy footers like Olympic gold medalist Italo Ferreira, three-time world champion Gabriel Medina, American Caroline Marks and Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb.
How many surfers are competing at the 2024 Olympics?
A total of 48 surfers will compete in Paris: 24 of each gender and eight more in total than Tokyo 2020. France, as the host country, will be entitled to two places, one in the women's tournament and one in the men's.
The two Olympic surfing competitions in 2024 are men's shortboard and women's shortboard.
