Caroline Marks shortly after winning gold for team USA. Photo: Pablo Jimenez // ISA
USA Surfing has taken another step in its attempt at a comeback. The organization announced that it has secured a multi-million-dollar investment as part of its ongoing bid to regain certification as the sport’s national governing body, after losing that status in 2021.
Kamaka Responsible Development and Resin Services put in multi-year deals to financially back USA Surfing. Kamaka Responsible Development is an investment and development firm that builds housing communities, while Resin Services is an Orange County-based surfboard manufacturer. USA Surfing reports that, as part of the deal, Kamaka is developing a state-of-the-art wave pool to help athletes prepare for ISA and Olympic competition.
As USA Surfing executive director Becky Fleischauer told The Associated Press, the announcement is part of a series of changes intended to bolster the organization’s bid to regain certification. “We have a new board, new leadership, and we’ve been delivering more value to our surfers than has ever been provided in the past,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy. This investment is a declaration of confidence in the future of surfing from those who know it best.”
“USA Surfing is doing the work. They’ve earned the trust of athletes and the surf community and are deeply committed to our sport and community,” said Kipling Sheppard, CEO of Kamaka and Resin Services. “They’ve built a proven pathway — developing ISA and Olympic gold medalists — and they’re dedicated stewards of both performance and community. This alliance will strengthen that foundation and extend its reach.”
USA Surfing was once the governing body for surfing in America, before audits performed by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) identified numerous financial and governance issues, leading to the organization decertifying as the sport’s national governing body in December of 2021. In the interim, USOPC has managed the USA surf team, while USA Surfing worked on fixing its financial issues and making a bid for recertification. However, in that time another group has thrown its hat in the ring: the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Federation, a winter sports organization run by former WSL chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt.
The USOPC is evaluating both groups’ bids and is expected to come to a decision in the next few months, according to AP.
