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Where to watch "Chasing Waves"
8. Sea of Change
No release date yet
As surfing becomes a permanent Olympic sport, the athletes look to the future. Mahina Maeda and Sara Kohrogi return to Japan to learn about a rite of passage they missed while growing up in America. Yuma Takanuki contemplates how he will support his growing family as a content creator. Connor O’Leary competes in Hawaii, hoping to earn a spot on the Championship Tour at the fourth and final stop of the 2021 Challenger Series.
Disney+7. Undercurrents
No release date yet
Connor O’Leary fights for a comeback on the WSL Challenger Series, facing off against Olympic silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi in France. Meanwhile, the legacy of fatherhood is revealed as Yuma Takanuki struggles with his past, and Hayato Maki explores his relationship with his father on a family camping trip in Okinawa.
6. Ebb and Flow
No release date yet
As the surfers deal with loss and setbacks, some question their pursuit of competitive surfing. Sara Kohrogi competes for her professional surfing license in Japan, while Connor O’Leary, Shino Matsuda, Hiroto Ohhara and Mahina Maeda learn to do the ‘Huntington Hop’ at the US Open of Surfing, the first of four events on the WSL Challenger Series.
5. Power of the Ocean
No release date yet
The raw power of the ocean is revealed as Mahina Maeda learns to surf big waves and Yuma Takanuki explores the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and a tsunami’s devastating impact on the surf community in Fukushima. Meanwhile, the stakes are high for Sara Kohrogi, who worries there won’t be waves at her JPSA professional surfing qualification test.
4. Legacy
No release date yet
Family legacy is explored as surfers Sara Kohrogi and Connor O’Leary connect with their Japanese roots. Sara travels to Japan to prepare for an upcoming competition where she hopes to earn her professional surfing credentials. Makoto Shimasaki, a Buddhist priest, balances his passion for surfing with his professional responsibilities. Meanwhile, Connor prepares for the upcoming WSL Challenger Series, and Yuma Takanuki learns how the ancient and sustainable Japanese craft of urushi is being repurposed to make more sustainable surfboards.
3. Rising Tide
No release date yet
In the wake of surfing's Olympic debut in Japan, we learn there are two types of surfers, those who compete, and those who are "free". Kanoa Igarashi’s silver medal win in Tokyo sparks a rising tide amongst Japanese surfers globally, including Sara Kohrogi who hopes to represent Japan in 2024. Meanwhile, Australian/Japanese professional surfer Connor O’Leary plans his WSL Championship Tour comeback, and road tripper Yuma Takanuki learns about Japan's early surf pioneers.
2. Weight of a Nation
No release date yet
The weight of a nation rests on Team Japan as the athletes prepare for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Mahina Maeda and Kanoa Igarashi reflect on their multicultural identities. Hiroto Ohhara feels the pressure of becoming a father and supporting his future family as a professional surfer. Tensions rise during Olympic preparation as Fernando Aguerre worries surfing’s Olympic debut will be missing a key element – waves!
1. Chasing the Dream
No release date yet
It all starts with a dream. As a new generation of surfers chase the opportunity to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, an older generation reflects on how far surfing has come in Japanese culture. Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association, devotes his life's work to the acceptance of surfing as an Olympic sport. Surfers Mahina Maeda and Shino Matsuda compete at the ISA World Games in El Salvador for their spot on Team Japan. Free surfer Yuma Takanuki builds a campervan and prepares to set off on a trip across Japan to chase waves and learn about the rich surf culture of his home country.
