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U.S. Ski & Snowboard withdraws bid to take over American surfing

USA Surfing: the ISA-recognized national governing body for the sport of surfing in the United States | Photo: ISA

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has withdrawn its bid to become the national governing body (NGB) for the sport of surfing in the United States.

The soap opera is over.

The process to take over American surfing initiated by the winter sports organization will not reach the final stage.

In early 2025, Sophie Goldschmidt, at the time president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, applied to govern surfing in the USA. She had previously served as CEO of the World Surf League (WSL).

The goal was to convince the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) that the sport of riding waves and, surprisingly, skateboarding, should be under the winter sports umbrella.

Goldschmidt explored USA Surfing's financial and governance issues, as uncovered in a 2021 audit required to secure NGB certification.

However, after all the support received by professional surfers and Fernando Aguerre, president of the International Surfing Association (ISA), U.S. Ski & Snowboard lost its momentum.

A Bitter End

In their official statement, U.S. Ski & Snowboard did not spare words.

"Despite U.S. Ski & Snowboard reaching out multiple times over the past 18 months, USA Surfing chose public attacks and uninformed legal threats instead of constructive dialogue and engagement," the statement reads.

"Considering those factors, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has concluded that our energy and expertise are best used in service to our athletes as they prepare for the upcoming Winter Games."

And so, the path is open for USA Surfing to regain the NGB status for the sport of surfing, and the whole process heads toward the final public-hearing testimony to USOPC's NGB Certification Review Group.

"Every Olympic medal U.S. surfers have won so far has come through USA Surfing's pipeline and this coaching culture. With new resources coming in, we're not starting from scratch - we're leveling up a system surfers already trust," underlined former WSL Championship Tour surfer and Olympic coach, Brett Simpson.

"That kind of trust comes from years in the water and on the sand together, not just showing up every four years."

"To ignore that, or hand surfing over to a group with no real connection to the sport, would break trust - and we may not get it back."

The ISA also backs up USA Surfing as the sole entity capable and morally entitled to manage the sport in America.

"As the IOC-recognized international federation for the sport of surfing, we have already gone on record to state that there is currently only one organization that fulfills the requirements, according to Rule 29 of the Olympic Charter, to operate as the NGB for surfing in the United States, and that organization is the ISA recognized member, USA Surfing," added Robert Fasulo, executive director at the ISA.

"With all due respect to this process, the framework of recognition of a sole NGB that serves the interests of all the athletes, and all levels of the sport, cannot be modified outside the structure mandated by the Olympic movement."

The battle that was never supposed to be fought is over.


Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com



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