Kelly Slater and John John Florence could benefit from the new Olympic pathways. Photo: Pablo Franco//Sean Evans//ISA
Kelly Slater called the new Olympic qualification system “crazy” and “stupid.” Ironically, the revised format that limits Championship Tour qualification slots may open a door for him that was once shut — and not just for Slater, but for other elite surfers not on the tour. Does the name John John Florence ring a bell?
Under the previous system, many surfers from powerhouse nations like the United States were often boxed out once the top two CT surfers from their nation secured the Olympic quotas. Now, only one American can qualify through the CT rankings. That leaves two additional U.S. slots available through the ISA World Surfing Games or the Pan American Games.
Surfers like Slater or Florence could compete in any of the next three editions of the ISA World Surfing Games to earn a berth – either by finishing in the top 10 in 2028 or by helping the U.S. men’s team top the rankings in 2026 or 2027 (this would give USA a slot they can fill at their discretion). The Pan American Games are another opportunity, with better odds in a smaller field of 16 surfers and a direct qualification slot awarded to the winner.
Slater narrowly missed qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games. During the 2019 CT season, the qualification year, he closed the gap on Florence in the CT rankings, forcing Florence to return from injury – after missing five events – to defend his slot in the final event at Pipeline. Florence finished fifth; Slater made the semifinals. In the end, Florence held on to the final U.S. Olympic spot.
Four years later, during the 2023 CT season, Slater received a season wildcard but never seriously entered the qualification conversation for Paris 2024.
Now, however, a single standout performance at the right event could take him to the Olympics. And Florence, who has stepped away from the CT for two seasons and counting, no longer needs to return to the tour to qualify for his third Olympics.
Slater criticized the new structure, arguing that Olympic qualification should lean more heavily on the CT, where he says the vast majority of the world’s best surfers compete. But he needed the system explained to him before responding to the question. He may not have realized how it could benefit him.
By the time the 2028 Summer Olympics arrive, Slater will be 56. The odds may not be great competing against surfers half his age, but multiple pathways now exist. And there is no guarantee that USA Surfing will ever call his name. But if they do, he should be ready.
