Wind and wave technology for Olympic surfing

At these Olympics, in surfing and sailing competitions, there have been several approaches to the sea, waves and equipment. We have gone from the naturalist sailor who travels by eye and experience, to the one who uses some apps and websites to evaluate the conditions of the wind and waves before competing, to the extreme tech of some athletes like Carissa Moore who has prepared on artificial waves and used technologies such as the wearable ring that tracks sleep and other vital signs to fine-tune training, rest and recovery. The most technological part of the sailors structures all phases of their work on the most advanced developments, from the chemistry of polymers for surfboards and wetsuits to the complex weather models that help govern the environment during competitions such as this Olympic event. For example, in France alone 150,000 tons of oyster shells are discarded every year, which have proved to be an excellent raw material for clothing, very respectful of the environment. Surfwear company Soöruz from Charente-Maritimes, La Rochelle, has created an innovative insulating foam with oyster shell powder that is placed between the inner and outer fabric of the surf wetsuits, helping to make them waterproof as well as comfortable to wear. In addition to the highly technological performance of Oysterprene, this is the name of the product, the work on the material contributes in an important way to the reduction of the environmental impact of neoprene. anticipate any early warning system: for the first time at the Games a particular type of satellite was used, capable of scanning the atmosphere every 30 seconds, providing much more accurate data and much faster accessibility than the usual interval of 2.5 minutes. Real-time satellite readings have become much more accurate anticipating any other predictions that are based on computer models and simulations. The system monitors the weather 10 days in advance and has been able to update the International Olympic Committee and the various national federations of surfing and other sports susceptible to minimal climate change quickly and accurately. Italian at an Olympics Leonardo Fioravanti, during an interview recalled how for the 2024 Paris Olympics surfing will take place in Tahiti, in French Polynesia, over fifteen thousand kilometers away. And how, in three years, he may no longer be the only qualified Italian: “A professional Italian surfer is currently viewed with disbelief. Many do not even know that you can surf in Italy, when instead there is an important movement. However, surfing can still grow a lot thanks to the artificial wave technology that is slowly gaining ground also in us ”. And artificial waves can be found, for example, in Sion, Switzerland, where there is Alaïa Bay which allows you to ride the water all year round. A technology that allows you to choose between various types of waves: the Waikiki mode for those who want to perfect the technique, the Experts with steep and fast waves, or the Beast that simulates waves two meters high. Capable of producing between 300 and 1,000 waves per hour, the patented Wavegarden Cove technology forms on an electromechanical modular design that mimics the exact movement of water particles in ocean waves. , there is the Swedish surf technology with the electric motor that can touch 30 knots driven by the 11 kW brushless Awake Direct Drive motor. The speed, which can be managed thanks to a portable accelerator, is programmable through the Awake mobile app which offers four different driving modes from slow to push and allows monitoring of the electronic system and battery life.