Push for surf comp ends in a wipe-out
ELITE surfing organisers have revealed they lobbied unsuccessfully for three years to have their sport included in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
They said Games officials squandered the opportunity to have surfing – a “national pastime’’ – as part of the sporting and cultural line-up.
But a Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation spokeswoman said surfing was not deemed “feasible” after beach volleyball was included in the sports program.
“Contributing to the decision was the fact that surf lifesavers will also play a key part in the opening and closing ceremonies and have been rehearsing ‘behind closed doors’ for their roles ahead of their involvement that will showcase the movement before a broadcast audience of more 1.5 billion.”
With a little more than two weeks until the biggest event ever held here, International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre and Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark said they had a number of meetings with Games organisers that “felt positive” but never amounted to anything.
Mr Aguerre said he started lobbying Commonwealth Games organisers to have surfing included for the Gold Coast about the same time he mounted a successful bid for the sport’s inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mr Stark said he also had multiple meetings with local organisers to include surfing.
He said the Gold Coast could have used the World Surf League’s competition area set up for the recent Quiksilver and Roxy Pro events as a Games “live site” on the southern end of the city.
Top world tour surfers such as Sally Fitzgibbons, in town for the first stop on the world tour, said surfers would have loved to show their sport to the world.
But despite the ISA having 99 member countries, including Australia and other Commonwealth nations such as England, Wales, Fiji, South Africa, Jamaica, India, PNG and Canada, the GOLDOC said surfing was not eligible as a sport.
“Surfing is not a core or optional sport of the Commonwealth Games (and) therefore ineligible as a sport for GC2018,” GOLDOC said in a statement.
The statement said the criteria for inclusion of sports was set out by the Commonwealth Games Federation and depended on a sport’s participation levels, Commonwealth nations affiliated, participants from Commonwealth nations at world championships, and Commonwealth nations hosting sanctioned international events.
Mr Aguerre, the Argentine co-founder of surf brand Reef, said the city had missed out on attracting a global youth audience with “vibrant energy”.
“At times discussions looked promising and it felt like positive steps could be made, however these never materialised into concrete decisions,” Mr Aguerre told the Bulletin. However surfing has been used as a marketing tool to promote the Gold Coast Games.
Borobi, the Games mascot “who likes to catch a wave”, was launched at Burleigh Heads with surf champion Mark Occhilupo. Three-time world champion and “Coolie kid’’ Mick Fanning was flown to Glasgow for its closing ceremony to promote the Gold Coast Games. London’s iconic black cabs were badged up with surfers and surfboards at the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay. Surfboards were used as the Games’ lapel pins and on countdown clocks.
“It’s unfortunate there’s no expression session or something like that. We’ve got all these professional surfers in town, so many world champions live in the area,’’ Mr Stark said.
BULLETIN’S VIEW P16