Interview: Fernando Aguerre, ISA President

When I was first elected president in 1994, the ISA was a loose organization. It had almost no financial resources. It basically just presided over the ISA World Championships. When I started, I went into the building of the foundations of the ISA, basically a organization to serve the National Governing Bodies of the sport. I obtained IOC recognition in 1995, which helped the National Governing Bodies obtain recognition – and in many cases funding – from their National Olympic Committees.

Is the ISA only involved in competitive surfing, or are there other interests?

While the ISA and its members deal most visibly with competitive surfing, we also have several programs, including alliances with Surfrider Foundation, Save the Waves, SurfAid International, and many more. I believe that competitive surfing is just a part of our very rich and passionate culture. Surfing is not just a sport, it’s a culture that includes a sport (the competition), but most surfers don’t compete. And that is the incredible beauty of our sport. The nature of many sports is the defeat or even the physical destruction of the competitor. There is nothing about destruction or violence in surfing. Surfing is a gift to the world. And the lucky ones that get to ride waves (with or without boards), know what I’m talking about.

Is it true you don’t get paid for your work at the ISA? That seems very noble.

My activities at the ISA are part of what I do as my giving back for the life I’ve been able to live and hope to live for many more years. My president position at the ISA is honorary, not paid. I have never received any salary or compensation in my 18 years as president. I have always paid for my own airfare to all the ISA events. The ISA has a paid staff, and of course our office has overhead costs of operations, but my reward for my activities as president, is internal, in my heart, knowing that being able to do it, I decided to do it, and I will continue to do it, until the day when the ISA members decide that my time is up.

You’ve been working hard to get surfing into the Olympics. What’s the likelihood of that happening, and what needs to be done before it does?

We spend hundreds of hours per year developing the very complex Olympic Surfing project. It’s a long term goal that includes dozens of stakeholders and involved parties all over the world. Getting surfing into the Olympics is something the Duke Kahanamoku asked for in 1920. I believe surfing is a unique sport and culture, one that will completely and positively change the Olympics, and it’s totally in synch with the true spirit of Olympism. I’m an idealist, but also a practical person. My eyes are looking up and away, but my feet are on the ground, so I’m very aware of the substantial hurdles on ourway for Olympic participation, but at the same time, I believe this will happen during my lifetime. I don’t care if it’s under my watch or not. That is irrelevant. Surfing deserves to be in the Olympics, and the Olympics need surfing, just like the Winter Olympic Games needed snowboarding. One of the biggest hurdles is the mastering of man-made waves. They already exist, but due to the lack of proper funding, there are not that many man made waves, and truly Olympic/World Championship man-made waves are not in existence today. But with the right amount of money, they will be made. Listen, the Beijing Games organizers spent 70 million dollars building the kayak water rapids for their Games. London will be spending 40 for the same project. With a fraction of that, we could build a world class man-made wave.

You have a reputation as a collector of surf memorabilia. How big is your collection?

I always loved history, the roots of things, from my family to the world. So at one point in my life, I started collecting surfing objects… I mean, I still have a copy of the first poster of the very first ever surf contest organized in Argentina when I was 20, as part of my successful campaign against a ban on surfing imposed by the military dictatorship of my native Argentina in the 70s. In Argentina I have the most important collection of surfing memorabilia, boards included. In the USA, I have a very important collection of surfboards and surf art, from late-19th century Hawaiian redwood boards, to Kelly’s, Andy’s and Fanning World Championship boards. Some collectors specialize in certain eras or type of boards. As a generalist, as a lover of all surfing, my collection is a board chronology of all boards for the last 130 years. I don’t see myself as the owner of my collection, but rather as the safe keeper of this very unique collection of wave riding art pieces, for the most part hand shaped and surfed by people that were and are totally in love with our culture.

What’s your vision for the future of the ISA?

One of continued growth for surfing around the world. Taking surfing deeper into Asia and Africa. In the last decade, the ISA has led the charge for the explosion of surfing in Latin America and Europe. We are firmly on a path of healthy growth in Africa and Asia. Wave riding has been happening for thousands of years around the world. I envision our culture and our passion for clean and safe seas being part of more and more nations around the world. I’m comfortable with this vision, one of a better world, where more people are devoted to peaceful and fun loving activities, instead of preparing and starting wars. We need better communication, more respect between nations and cultures. During our ISA events, I see teams with Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or Buddhist surfers, all enjoying life and waves in peace. I believe that surfing is a powerful bridge building force for our world. Maybe all politicians that lead our world need to go surfing.