Photo: WSL
The World Surf League canceled a stop on its junior tour due to stakeholder protests against the participation of Israeli surfers.
The WSL decided to pull its sanction of the Basque Country Junior Pro June 6-8 at Zurriola Beach in San Sebastian, Spain after the local municipality altered “the athlete eligibility status” of registered competitors – presumably a reference to prohibiting Israeli surfers from competing.
Additionally, Groseko Indarra Surf Taldea, the local surf club reportedly responsible for providing internet and power for the event, announced just days before that they would not take part.
“Groseko Indarra Surf Taldea has decided not to collaborate with the junior championship organized by the WSL due to the significant number of Israeli participants,” the surf club wrote in a statement on Instagram. “The genocide suffered by the Palestinian people is intolerable and unbearable, and we want to do whatever we can to denounce the situation.”
The club drew parallels to the sanctions currently levied on Russian athletes as an example of what should also apply to Israeli surfers.
“Political decisions are constantly being made in the world of sports, such as the bans imposed on Russia from participating in tournaments due to the war in Ukraine,” the statement continues. “We believe the same should be done with Israel; pressure should be applied in every possible area, including surfing, to end the Palestinian genocide.”
“We would like the WSL to follow this policy and not welcome Israelis participating in a tournament that will be held on our beach,” they added. “We want to stay out of the competition as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
For reference, the International Surfing Association banned Russian surfers from its events in March, 2022. The WSL, on the other hand, has allowed Russian surfers to compete, initially under the designation “world.” However, sometime in the past two years, the WSL website walked back on that label, and Russian athletes now compete under the “Russian Federation.”
In a message to participating athletes, the WSL said that excluding Israeli surfers would violate their rulebook. The organization stated that such exclusions go against their zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination. They added that, due to the local municipality’s withdrawal of support, they could no longer ensure adequate safety for all athletes and would therefore cancel the event.
“The WSL has withdrawn its sanction of the upcoming Donostia Junior Pro, originally scheduled to begin on June 6, 2025, following a new determination by the San Sebastián City Sports Councilor on June 4, 2025 that alters the eligibility status of registered competitors,” reads the communication, which the WSL provided to The Inertia. “This change is in breach of multiple provisions in the WSL Rule Book. Section 5 outlines the requirements for athlete entry and seeding, which must be free from arbitrary or discriminatory exclusion. The change also violates the WSL’s established policy, as set out in the Rule Book, of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, harassment, or abuse.”
“Additionally, the WSL was no longer assured of a reasonable level of safety for all participants, as required for all events,” the letter continued. “As a result, the event can no longer be conducted in accordance with the WSL’s basic requirements for all Pro Junior competitions. Due to these circumstances, the WSL has terminated the Event License Agreement and the Donostia Junior Pro event will no longer be a WSL-sanctioned event. The WSL acknowledges the inconvenience this causes to competitors, partners, and fans.
Local organizers salvaged the WSL event and re-packaged it as the Waxdays Junior Pro. The event was won by Basque Country locals Kai Odriozola in the boys’ U20 division, and Sarah Leiceaga in the girls’ U20 division.
This story was updated after receiving a response to a request for comment from the WSL on June 10.
