Photo: ISA
If you’ve ever taken a moment to dig through the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) webpage you’ll find an endless archive of courses, training programs, contests, scholarships, and more that the organization supports. As the institution tasked with governing surfing’s inclusion in the Olympic games, that actually gives some insight into the scope of work involved with the ISA’s overall mission. Overseeing a sport’s involvement in the world’s largest event every four years takes more than just slapping together a roster of competitors who qualify.
One program under that much larger umbrella is the ISA’s Continental Youth Athlete Development Program (YADP), which is used as a training opportunity for younger athletes from developing, or underserved, nations. Each year they select a region of the world where a handful of promising athletes gather to train. In past years they’ve done this in Africa, Asia, and this year in Fiji. They brought out a total of 15 athletes under the age of 18 from eight different nations: American Samoa, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Fiji. A handful of international coaches were there to train them with former CTer Michel Bourez as the headliner.
“Initiatives like our Youth Athlete Development Program represent the heart of what the ISA stands for, creating opportunities for surfers around the world to reach their full potential,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “When we see these talented young surfers from across Oceania learning alongside experienced judges, coaches, and Olympians, we’re not just witnessing their development, we’re watching the future of our sport take shape. These programs do more than develop athletes, they develop dreams. Some of these young surfers will go on to represent their nations at the highest levels, and for many of them, that journey begins right here in the beautiful waves of Fiji.”
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Keep an eye out for these names. The ISA has targeted them as potential future Olympians and therefore, the might be the future of our sport:
Tanuguatoa Aupiu – American Samoa
Julia Kostelnik – American Samoa
Kenneth alexander – Guam
Hazel Wilson – Guam
Taumero Bineka – Kiribati
Nakau Nakibwebwe – Kiribati
Dezley Mackay – Nauru
Keipson Jimwereiy – Nauru
Keilani Clark – Papua New Guinea
John Yafi Muser – Papua New Guinea
Leia Falega Viliamu – Samoa
Mavis Narisa Lynn Gardiner – Samoa
Sacha Ferry – Vanuatu
Emily Taleo – Vanuatu
Havana kurop – Fiji
