Big changes discussed by surfing’s authorities could change how athletes qualify for the Olympics. Photo: Pablo Franco//ISA
Reports out of Brazil depict an Olympic power struggle brewing between the International Surfing Association and the World Surf League. According to the Brazilian surf media outlet AOS Midia, headed by journalist Ader Oliveira, major changes are under discussion for surfing’s LA 2028 Olympic qualification system.
The most significant change reported is that the qualification pathway would diminish the importance of the WSL Championship Tour. For Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, 10 male slots and eight female slots, a limit of two surfers per country, were reserved for the CT season the year before the Olympics. The new proposal reportedly reserves five slots for each gender, a limit of one surfer per country. The ranking would be pulled from the first four stops of the 2028 CT season – the same year as the Olympics.
The remaining slots, 19 for each gender, would be earned at the World Surfing Games between 2026 and 2028, presumably with some number of slots reserved for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
The report also indicates that this year’s World Surfing Games, the edition three years out from the Olympics, could play a more significant role in qualification. For Paris 2024, the World Surfing Games that was three years ahead of that Olympiad only awarded a slot to the highest-ranking men’s and women’s teams that the winning National Olympic Committees could fill as they pleased.
Oliveira is adamant that he has reliable sources and that the qualification proposal does, in fact, exist. It’s not clear whether these changes have been finalized or are still under discussion.
When reached for comment, the ISA did not confirm or deny the details of the report, but provided a statement confirming a version of the qualification system has been submitted for approval.
“The proposed qualification system for LA28 has been submitted to the IOC for review following endorsement by the ISA Athletes’ Commission,” the ISA spokesperson said. “This is a standard step in the Olympic process, and qualification systems are refined based on experience from prior Olympic Games. As the system is not yet approved, we are not in a position to comment in detail or address specific questions at this stage.”
“At a high level, the proposal is designed to balance strong competitive access for the top athletes with the Olympic principle of universality, while maintaining clear qualification pathways across both professional and International Federation/Olympic events,” the ISA continued. “The system continues to maintain a direct qualification pathway through the WSL CT. All athletes, including top professionals, will have multiple qualification opportunities with additional opportunities to qualify, and once an athlete qualifies under the new (qualification system), their Olympic place is protected.”
The WSL did not respond to a request for comment on the report.
If this qualification system is finalized as reported, it will have major implications. It represents a shift in power towards the sport’s Olympic governing body, adding value to the ISA World Surfing Games, which have struggled to attract top talent in non-qualification years. Some CT athletes have dodged their ISA duties in the past when qualification was not at stake or when their results did not alter their CT qualification status.
It also reduces the Olympic marketability of the Championship Tour, a perk the WSL most likely did not relinquish easily. And if it’s true that only four CT events will factor into Olympic qualification, the type of waves (lefts versus rights, performance versus barrels) would have a great effect on who qualifies as opposed to the ranking over the entire season.
Technically, the ISA does not need the WSL’s blessing to create an Olympic qualification system. This is the responsibility of an international federation. However, the WSL’s leverage lies with the athletes they have under contract. In theory, they could revoke the athletes’ rights to compete in ISA events or not cooperate with the ISA when scheduling their events. This would be a lose-lose for everyone, but that’s the nuclear option they have in this negotiation.
Perhaps this leak could lead to further changes before the final qualification system is released. If it’s true that 2026 is going to be included in the pathway, time is of the essence to get this document approved by the International Olympic Committee.
