Olympic Surfer Kanoa Igarashi Opens Up Feeling Like an ‘Outsider’ Amidst Cultural Shifts

The 2024 Paris Olympics have caused waves of excitement among surfing fans. Surfing in Paris 2024 will be the second inclusion of surfing on the Olympic stage, following its debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The excitement among fans builds to see the iconic masters of the waves take on Teahupo’o in Tahiti at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Fans wait for the return of Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi, who won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the multicultural star recently opened up and revealed feeling like an ‘outsider’ amidst cultural shifts in his journey.

Kanoa Igarashi opens up on feeling like an ‘outsider’

In an interview with Olympics.com, the talented Kanoa Igarashi opened up about his roots.  Kanoa grew up in California with a Japanese family, but he shared, “I felt like a bit of an outsider because I was Japanese in an American culture, having different beliefs, having different lifestyles. No matter how much you grow up in a culture, you still have that.” However, Kanoa found his place in the ocean. Surfing became more than just a hobby for Kanoa; it became a way for him to connect with others and feel like he belonged.

He noticed that when he was in the water, everyone was equal, regardless of their background. And that’s how his road brought him to the world of competitive surfing. Let’s take a look at how Kanoa Igarashi not only became on with the waves, but he also conquered them to win historic titles.

His achievements and aim for Paris 2024

Kanoa Igarashi, born in Huntington Beach, California, started surfing at a young age, following in his father’s footsteps. Igarashi began competing professionally at a young age, starting in 2012. In 2016, he became the first surfer from Japan to qualify for the World Surf League Championship Tour. His notable successes include multiple wins at the US Open of Surfing in 2017 and 2018, as well as being inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame. He has also represented Japan in international competitions, earning medals at events such as the ISA World Surfing Games and the World Games.

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One of the highlights of Kanoa’s career came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the men’s shortboard event. Additionally, in 2022, he clinched the gold medal at the ISA World Surfing Games held in Huntington Beach. Looking ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the powerhouse has shared how he narrowly missed out on the gold medal. While initially feeling conflicted about winning silver, he now sees it as motivation to strive for gold in Paris. As he aims for Paris 2024, fans hope he lives up to his statement, “The goal is to win gold and clean up what I wasn’t able to achieve in Tokyo.”

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