On the occasion of the Torch Tour of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Argentine surfers Franco Radziunas, Martin Passeri, Maxi Prenski, Josefina Ané, Catalina Merceré and Marcelo Rodríguez were part of a symbolic relay in the waves of Playa Grande, Mar del Plata.

In the press release, Passeri, a Latin American champion and five-time Argentine champion, said: “It was a great honour for me to have been able to carry the Olympic flame. That this symbolic relay took place on the beach where we train every day was very special.”

The Youth Olympic Games will be held in Buenos Aires from October 6 to 18.

The event was to feature SUP demonstrations, but a dispute with the ICF over SUP enforcement led to these being withdrawn.

"40 years ago surfing in Mar del Plata was illegal, by order of the military mayor. Yesterday the Olympic flame passed through Mar del Plata and surfed those same beaches where 40 years ago I organised the first tournament to fight against the ban. Today surfing is an Olympic sport!" wrote ISA President Fernando Aguerre of Argentina in a tweet.  

 

Surfing is Olympic!!! Grateful to have been part, today, of the transfer of the Olympic flame of the @youtholympics @buenosaires2018. 23 years ago I had the honor of running through the streets of Mar del Plata with the Pan American Torch, today it exceeded my expectations CARRYING IT HIGH ON A WAVE AND MAKING THE TRANSFER to the new Generation.

A post shared by MARTIN PASSERI (@martinpasseri) on Aug 6, 2018 at 6:07pm PDT