ICHINOMIYA, Japan — The fickle waves at the inaugural Olympic surf competition came roaring to shore on Tuesday, pushed by Tropical Storm Nepartak, leading contest organizers to try to jam the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches into one busy day.
Two by two, in head-to-head elimination rounds, many of the world’s best surfers paddled into the churning and unpredictable water, just days after they practiced in tiny, thigh-high waves.
One by one they emerged, either sent home or pushed onward toward the first-ever Olympic medals in their sport.
And through the foam rode Carissa Moore of the United States and Italo Ferreira of Brazil, two of the top surfers of the day, now the first to win Olympic gold medals in the sport.