Kanoa Igarashi won silver and Shun Murakami picked up a copper medal on Wednesday to land Japan on the World Surfing Games podium for the first time in the event's 54-year history.
Igarashi held the lead briefly in the men's final at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, but was overtaken by 2011 World Surfing Games champion Santiago Muniz of Argentina.
(Shun Murakami)
The 20-year-old, whose parents moved to California before he was born, was making his competitive debut for Japan at the annual International Surfing Association tournament.
He earned 13.67 points, while Muniz claimed his second World Surfing Games gold with 14.63.
Peru's Lucca Mesinas won bronze with 12.93, and Murakami finished last in the four-man final with 9.96 to earn the copper medal.
Igarashi attacked his first wave and earned a 7.67 after two consecutive backside turns, and he was awarded a 6.00 for his smaller second wave.
Muniz led the finalists with an early 7.90 run and overhauled Igarashi's lead with a late 6.73 effort. Murakami, who posted the lowest scores, caught five waves but was unable to ride the momentum that got him to the final.
Points are awarded for controlled maneuvers in the most critical sections of the wave, with the highest two runs combining for a two-wave total.
(Kanoa Igarashi)
Japan is currently third in the 42-country standings below the United States in first and Australia in second. The ISA Aloha Cup will be held on Thursday, and the women's final will be held before the event wraps up on Saturday.
Japanese surfers did not advance past the fourth round of the women's competition.
Igarashi switched his competitive nationality earlier this year in the hopes of competing for Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where surfing will make its Olympic debut.
In August, Igarashi won the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing in his hometown of Huntington Beach for the second straight year.
After placing third at the Surf Ranch Pro last Sunday in Lemoore, California, Igarashi was ninth in the World Surf League Championship Tour men's rankings.
