Here's How Olympic Surfing Is Scored

How does one judge something that is inherently subjective? A song or a movie or a painting cannot be categorically better than another. And the same goes for surfing, to a certain degree, as one judge might deviate from another due to personal preference.

But when it comes to competitive surfing, there need to be judges. There needs to be a panel of experienced or knowledgeable surfers, from a wide range of countries to avoid biases, so that scores can be assigned and, eventually, a winner crowned. So it goes with surfing in the Paris 2024 Games, where a team of evaluators in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, mete out scores and determine wave-by-wave who will advance towards the coveted medals.

And so far, it seems like the judges have been a little stingier than usual.

“The scale is a little higher than the CT,” said South Africa’s Jordy Smith. “We’ve seen waves that would have been perfect. There was nothing more you could do on a wave, and still no 10s. So, yeah, they’ve been a little more critical when it comes to the judging.”

Let’s break down exactly how the judging system operates for Olympic surfing.

Related: Olympic Surfing 101: Everything to Know Before Paris 2024

How does scoring work for Olympic surfing?

Per the ISA [International Surfing Association]:

“In each heat, a surfer tries to maximize scoring potential by surfing closest to the judging criteria on the best waves possible within the time limit. Each heat is judged by a panel of five (5) judges, who each score the waves taken by each athlete on a scale of 0.1 to 10 points.

“For each wave scored, the highest and lowest scores (of the five [5] judges) are discarded, keeping the average of the remaining three (3) scores as the final wave score. The two (2) best scoring waves are added together to become the heat total (out of a possible 20 points).”

To paraphrase: Surfers’ top two waves, ranging on a scale from 0.1 to 10 points, are combined for a possible heat total of 20 points. The surfer with the highest total wins.

Simple.

What are the judging criteria?

• Commitment and degree of difficulty: This means the higher-risk maneuvers will be rewarded…if the surfer can pull it off.

• Innovative and progressive maneuvers: Pushing the boundaries; safe surfing is not rewarded.

• Variety of maneuvers: Making the same turn over and over isn’t going to get a score. Surfers need to mix it up.

• Combination of major maneuvers: It’s not easy to go from a tube to an air. But if a surfer can, the score will reflect that combo.

• Speed, power, and flow: This is how surfers connect their maneuvers, as gracefully and fast as possible, from one to the next.

What about Teahupo’o in particular, are the judges looking for?

The primary focus of Teahupo’o is the barrel. It’s not a wave for turns or aerials or anything like that. Those maneuvers have been seen during the Olympic event, however, they haven’t been receiving notably high scores.

Teahupo’o is for tubes. The deeper the barrel, the more critical the drop, the bigger the wave, the better the finesse while navigating the foamball – the higher the score.

Where are the judges?

In the leadup to the Paris 2024 Olympics and surfing at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, a controversy erupted about a new judging tower on the reef. Protestors claimed that the three-story aluminum tower would damage the live coral reef. And yet, Olympic organizers pushed forward.

Now, the tower is there, with some calling it an eyesore and others saying it’s not so bad. (Even the reef seems to be thriving on the underwater foundations.) And that’s where the judges sit and watch the event with a direct view of the wave.

Related: First Look: Controversial Olympic Surfing Judging Tower Built at Teahupo'o

Why have the judges been so tough during Paris 2024?

Typically, in surf contests, on the first day of competition or the first heat of the day, the judges will be a bit restrained. They don’t want to set the bar too high too early on. And yet, the judges at Paris 2024 seem to be holding onto that restraint extra tight.

For instance, one of the gold medal favorites, Gabriel Medina, caught what many believed to be a perfect wave on Day Three. Even Medina came out of the tube holding up all 10 fingers, signaling to the judging tower what he believed he deserved for the ride.

After the heat, Gabriel said: “I felt like that was a 10. I’ve gotten 10s out here before [on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour], and that one felt like another one. I got a 9.90, so I was still stoked. But they’ve been holding back on the 10s for sure.”

Will there be a Perfect 10 in surfing’s Paris 2024 Olympics? Stay tuned.

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