Why Are So Many Perfect Waves Going Un-Surfed in the Olympics? (Gallery)

There’s something strange about surfing in the Olympics.

Scratch that. There are many strange things about surfing in the Olympics. To name a few: for Paris 2024, surfing is happening 10,000 miles away from the host city in Teahupo’o, Tahiti; unlike any other sport in the Games, surfing is on an everchanging playing field; and the assembly of competitors is comprised of a ragtag group, ranging from the biggest names in the sport, to surfers nobody’s ever heard of. In other words, it ain’t like your typical surf contest.

But there’s one other aspect of Olympic surfing that’s also somewhat peculiar, and for some, perhaps even maddening. In between heats, there’s a six-minute break. And during that six-minute window, there have been many waves going unridden. Many, many good waves.

Related: Gallery: This Day Will Go Down in Olympic Surfing History

The reason why? Well, when I asked the media team here on the ground at Teahupo’o, they explained that it was to introduce the surfers in the next heat (they stand in front of the camera for the broadcast before hopping off the boat and into the lineup), and for the judges to certify the results from the previous heat. But all those precious waves, especially considering the good days of the forecast and leading up to some not-so-good days, feels like a waste. No?

“Like clockwork, the heat would end, and one of the best waves of the last hour would come through,” said SURFER photograher Ryan “Chachi” Craig. “Every time. There seemed to be one of the best waves going unridden in that six-minute window. All the photographers were talking about it on the boats. It was pretty frustrating to say the least. And that’s just us; imagine the surfers. If we thought the men were nuts on Monday, think about what could’ve happened with the women. If they didn’t have that six-minute delay, the women could’ve run in the heaviest conditions in competitive history. And it would’ve been during the Olympics. Insane.”

To break it down with some very elementary math, the first two days of competition featured 16 heats – eight for the men, eight for the women. Not accounting for the start of the day, when there is no break between heats, that’s 15 six-minute breaks. The total time lost? An hour and a half each day. That would’ve been six 30-minute heats added to the docket before day three.

Related: Surfing Is the Most Dangerous Olympic Sport; Day Three Proved It

And with Caroline Marks and Siqi Yang being the first heat of the women’s Round Three, they would’ve potentially had the chance to send it over macking ledges on Monday’s day of days .

It’s no use crying over spilled milk. But, regardless, here’s a handful of those unridden gems from the past three days of competition to salivate over, and wonder what could’ve been.

[All photos courtesy of Ryan “Chachi” Craig]