{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"E63: Sidebar Conversations - Behind the Wave of 2024 Olympic Surfing with Head Judge Rich Pierce","description":"Sidebar Conversations is our monthly series where we dive into challenging topics, current events, explore faith, and much more. Expect fresh insights from familiar faces and new voices as we engage in candid discussions. Join us for open and honest friendship, embracing diverse perspectives. Featured guest: Rich Pierce, a highly respected International Surfing Association (ISA) and Head Olympic judge, returns to the Olympic stage for the 2024 Tahiti Games. The veteran judge, who played a role in surfing's historic Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, shared his story and insights into the world of professional sports judging in  Episode 17 of the Ameritocracy podcast. Topics explored in this episode:   The process of selecting judges for the Olympics   Competitor qualifications   The dangerous conditions and unique challenges of surfing Teahupo\u2019o   Wave quality and how it impacts the surfer\u2019s score   Impact of the Olympics on the surfing industry   &amp;nbsp; Ameritocracy\u2122 is produced by Prospect House Media and recorded in studio locations in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. ","author_name":"Ameritocracy","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/473847","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/32326632\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/175264482"}