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Road to LA 2028: Olympic surfing qualification explained

Surfing: the road to Los Angeles 2028 has been updated | Photo: ISA

The International Surfing Association (ISA) announced the qualification system (QS) for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The road to surfing's third Olympic cycle introduces several changes and has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

According to Fernando Aguerre, the president of the ISA, the core criteria behind the new QS are "universality and recency."

The world governing body for the sport of surfing wants to ensure that "the highest-performing surfers have the greatest possible opportunity to qualify" for LA 2028.

Simultaneously, the ISA wants a system that "promotes fair global representation and the continued development of surfing worldwide."

The World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the ISA World Surfing Games (WSG), and continental competitions will continue to qualify surfers for the LA 2028 Olympics.

The updates, however, reduce the number of athletes who may qualify via the professional surfing circuit, that is, WSL's CT.

Let's take a look at the full Olympic surfing qualification for Los Angeles 2028, to take place at Lower Trestles, near San Clemente, California.

Quota places

A total of forty-eight (48) surfers who will ride for gold, silver, and bronze medals: 24 men and 24 women.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) is limited to three (3) athletes per gender.

A maximum quota of three (3) athletes per gender per National Olympic Committee (NOC).

Qualifying events

As with previous editions of the Olympic Games, qualification for LA28 will operate under a tiered structure, where higher-priority events award quota places before those lower in the order.

Once a NOC has secured three quota places in a given gender, it is no longer eligible to obtain additional places in that gender through events further down the qualification hierarchy.

The following competitions and events will qualify surfers for Los Angeles in 2028:

  1. 2028 WSL CT (10 total athletes): Top five (5) eligible athletes per gender as of the middle of June, 2028. Maximum one (1) per nation;
  2. 2028 ISA WSG: Top ten (10) eligible athletes per gender. Maximum one (1) per nation;
  3. Continental Slots

    a. Asian Games 2026
    One (1) slot per gender. Highest-ranked eligible athletes.

    b. Pan American Games 2027
    One (1) slot per gender. Highest-ranked eligible athletes.

    c. European Surfing Championship 2027
    One (1) slot per gender. Highest-ranked eligible athletes.

    d. 2027 ISA WSG
    One (1) slot per gender for Africa and one (1) slot per gender for Oceania, awarded to the highest-ranked eligible athletes. The athlete must place within the top 25 overall.
  4. 2026 & 2027 ISA WSG: The highest-ranked team per gender will earn one (1) slot per gender for its nation;
  5. Host Nation Places: One (1) slot per gender will be guaranteed for the host nation of the USA, unless already filled through the above hierarchies;
  6. Universality Places: One (1) slot per gender for underdeveloped nations. Eligible NOCs will need to apply. The nominated athlete must place within the top 40 at the 2027 or 2028 WSG;

Olympic surfing: there will be 24 men and 24 women competing for medals at LA 2028 | Photo: ISA

Support and criticism

The LA28 Olympic surfing qualification system has been heavily criticized by professional surfers, especially those competing in the WSL.

"Complete disrespect on the way you guys conducted this. Absolutely sad for our sport and future generations of surfers," wrote the 2025 WSL world champion Yago Dora.

"Consistency at the highest level is what defines competitive surfing. The WSL Championship Tour is where that happens, and the Olympics qualification pathway should more strongly reflect that," added Erin Brooks.

"Completely disagree with this qualification system. Now the 2027 WSL world champion isn't even guaranteed to compete in the Olympics. To be clear, on behalf of the WSL surfers, we tried to communicate with the ISA to find the best solution for everyone, but the ISA was not willing to work with any of the WSL surfers," stated Leo Fioravanti.

"It's crazy that you guys (ISA) always act behind our backs," Joao Chianca wrote.

The president of the ISA backs up the qualification design.

"The updates to the qualification system reflect the ISA's dedication to making sure the world's best surfers have the best possible opportunity to earn their place at LA28," noted Aguerre.

"We have worked closely with the IOC, the athletes, and other stakeholders to deliver a clear and fair process."

WSL: "We reject the new qualification process"

Ryan Crosby, CEO of the WSL, is clear about the newly designed QS.

"The WSL supports our athletes and, together with the surfers' representative body, World Professional Surfers (WPS), rejects the new qualification process put forward by the ISA," underlined Crosby in a press release.

"We believe that surfing's success on the Olympic stage relies on the participation of the world's elite surfers, and this new system compromises that goal."

“We are deeply disappointed in the ISA and their complete lack of consultation throughout this process."

"They ignored our attempts at a reasonable partnership, canceling meetings and failing to respond to emails, while simultaneously pursuing back-channel discussions regarding qualification."

"WSL, and our athletes, are asking that the qualification process be corrected to ensure that the top-ranked surfers have a place at the Games, consistent with Tokyo and Paris. We hope to resolve this and move forward with what's best for the sport," concluded Crosby.


Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com



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