Ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics, a send-off party for Reo Inaba (27), a surfer from Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, and a member of the Japanese national surfing team, was held in the town on the 23rd, with about 200 local supporters and fellow professional surfers offering words of encouragement. Inaba vowed, “I was able to grab a big opportunity. I want to bring home the gold medal and repay everyone with my results.”
Tsurigasaki Beach in the town was the venue for the first surfing event at the Tokyo Olympics, where local native Hiroto Ohara, a classmate of Inaba, placed fifth. The competition venue for the Paris Olympics is Tahiti in French Polynesia, in the South Pacific. Tahiti is known for some of the world’s most dangerous and gigantic waves, and the key to success is likely to be “tube riding,” a challenging technique that involves passing through cylindrical waves.
The send-off party was filled with people wearing T-shirts with “GO REO” printed on them. Mayor Masaya Mabuchi praised him, saying, “It’s wonderful that two of my classmates from a town with a population of only 12,000 have competed in the Olympics in succession,” and senior professional surfer Hideyoshi Tanaka presented him with a bouquet of flowers, saying, “Even though there is pressure from the Olympics, I hope you will stay true to yourself and enjoy yourself without any regrets.”
Many elementary and junior high school students also came to the event and asked Inaba questions. When asked “Which was your best tubing experience?” he replied, “I haven’t had one yet. I want to decide in Tahiti.” When asked “How did you feel when you entered the tube?” he replied, “I can’t put it into words. It was the most satisfying moment of my life.” Inaba appealed to everyone to “If you have dreams and goals and work hard, great opportunities will come to you equally. Don’t give up.”
Inaba announced that he would bring along a helmet that was a replica of that of his senior, professional surfer Naohisa Ogawa from Kamogawa City, who died last year at the age of 51 from cancer. “He was one of the people who laid the groundwork for Japanese people to participate in world competitions. I hope to carry on his will and gain strength,” he said, choking up at the time. “The most important thing is whether I can ride the wave or not. One wave can turn you over. I want to concentrate on my performance,” he said emphatically.
His father, Yasumune (58), also commented, “We’ve received a lot of support. I hope he can somehow win a medal.”
Surfing events for beginners to be held
The prefecture will hold the “BOSO Surfing Meeting 2024,” an event for beginners on the coast of the Sotobo region from mid-July to late September. The event will promote the prefecture’s attractions through surfing experience sessions, lunch using local ingredients, and social gatherings with relocated surfers.
This is the second event following last year. A total of 12 events will be held in Ichinomiya Town, Kamogawa City, Asahi City, Kujukuri Town, Minamiboso City, and other areas.
The capacity for each day is 20 people (first come, first served). The fee is 5,000 yen per person. Participants can visit the special website (https://bososurfing.jp/Applications will be accepted at the following address:[Takahashi Hideo]