Does America Finally Care About Surfing?

With the Olympics around the corner, surfing has entered an oddly succulent phase.

First, we stripped for GQ. Ivanka Trump spoke on the virtues of getting pounded. Then, Scarlett Johansson’s husband decided he wanted to hang out with Joe Turpel. And now, ESPN’s SportsCenter has welcomed the burrito-endorsing, journal-scribbling enlightenment-rocketeer, Griffin Colapinto, to the stage.

Before the interview, the ESPN host brought up a fascinating stat: despite Carissa Moore’s retirement, the US men’s and women’s Olympic teams consist of the current world numbers one and two on the Championship Tour.

Wait a second, who made America great again?

Back to the chat — while Griff was obviously struggling to assassinate the butterflies in his gut, the interview was far from a train-wreck. If anything, the current world #2 came off endearing and adorable. But he’s one of us, so we owe it to him to poke a little fun. Here’s a few memorable exchanges from the ESPN feature:

SportsCenter: “What do the Olympics mean to you?”
Griff: “I’ve been training my whole life for this moment.”
Also Griff: “I never really thought about the Olympics until six years ago.”

SportsCenter: “Those waves in Tahiti are ridiculous. How does that prepare you for the Olympics?”
Griff: “Well, danger.”

SportsCenter: “Good luck on tour, and at the Olympics.”
Griff: “Alright, cool.”

In the US, surfing rarely gets a mention on a mainstream programs like SportsCenter, let alone a dedicated segment, making this is a historic moment for the sport. 

Alright, cool.