• Summer waves at venue are traditionally smaller
• Critics wonder if artificial pools would have been better

Surfing’s long-awaited Olympics debut in Japan will showcase its talented athletes and enviable beach lifestyle to an audience of millions, many of whom will be watching the sport for the first time. But typical summer waves at the venue of Tsurigasaki Beach – small, short and lacking in power – have left some competitors and fans wondering about the spectacle and whether using artificial wave pool technology might have been a better bet for the Tokyo Games.

Waves pools, using a variety of mechanical systems to create almost identical and perfect surf on demand, have sprung up around the world in recent years. They now feature on surfing’s professional tour and have introduced the sport to regions far from the coast.

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