Record-breaking Number of Adaptive Surfers Prepared to Unite in La Jolla, USA

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More than 120 surfers, including women, from 24 countries set participation records for Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship

First visually impaired women competitors to make history

12 individual Gold Medalists and Team World Champions to be crowned

A record-breaking number of the world’s best adaptive surfers will unite in La Jolla, California, USA for the 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship (WASC) presented by the City of San Diego across December 12-16.

Australia’s defending Gold Medalist in the visually impaired division, Matthew Formston, will return to defend his Title in 2018. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
Australia’s defending Gold Medalist in the visually impaired division, Matthew Formston, will return to defend his Title in 2018. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

More than 120 surfers from 24 countries on all five continents of the globe will break the participation record of 109 surfers that was set in 2018. The consistent, year-over-year growth of the World Championship mirrors the ISA’s push to grow the sport on a global level since the event’s inception in 2015.

Thirty-seven female competitors will partake and earn team points for their nations, nearly doubling the women’s participation from 2017 when the first women-only divisions were introduced.

After the first visually impaired division was debuted in the event’s second edition in 2016, 2018 will make history as the first edition to feature visually impaired women.

The official participation numbers will be announced on December 11 upon the closing of on-site athlete registration.

In 2017, USA’s Alana Nichols made history as the first World Champion in the Women’s AS-3 Division. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
In 2017, USA’s Alana Nichols made history as the first World Champion in the Women’s AS-3 Division. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

ISA President Fernando Aguerre, said:

“Delivering a global platform and highlighting the talents of adaptive surfers worldwide is a great source of pride and a high priority for the ISA.

“We are fully committed to the growth and development of Adaptive Surfing and our hard work has paid off as we have seen an explosion of the sport across all continents of the world.

“We think that the sport’s high-performance qualities and youth appeal would bring a new audience and wave of energy to the Paralympic Games. We will continue pushing for its inclusion and working with the Paralympics to create a pathway that will help us achieve this goal.

“Stance’s support has also been instrumental in our ability to grow this event and the sport as a whole. It is an honor to have them as the Title Sponsor for the third consecutive year, demonstrating their commitment to these incredible, inspirational athletes.”

The Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship was launched in 2015 with the goal of giving surfers with physical challenges a global platform to display their talent in competition.

Since the inaugural edition, the event has experienced massive growth in only four years, with athlete participation increasing by 75% and countries participation by 40%.

Team Brazil will look to earn their third consecutive Team Title. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
Team Brazil will look to earn their third consecutive Team Title. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

The 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship will be streamed live December 12-16 on www.isasurf.org.

The schedule is as follows:

Sunday, December 9

  • Adaptive Surfing Clinic presented by Junior Seau Foundation Adaptive Surf Program at Tourmaline Beach, San Diego, 9:30am-12:30pm

Wednesday, December 12:

  • Opening Ceremony at La Jolla Shores & Kellogg Park, 9:30am – 11:30am
  • Start of Competition at La Jolla Shores, 1:00pm – 4:30pm
  • Adaptive Surfing Symposium at La Jolla Shores Hotel, 6:00pm – 8:30pm

December 13-16

  • Competition at La Jolla Shores, 7:00am – 4:30pm 

Sunday, December 16

  • Closing Ceremony at La Jolla Shores following the competition Finals
About The International Surfing Association:

The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. The ISA governs and defines Surfing as Shortboard, Longboard & Bodyboarding, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men's and Women's World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP, both surfing and racing) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Federations of 104 countries on five continents. The ISA is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (ARG). The Executive Committee includes four Vice-Presidents Karín Sierralta (PER), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL), Athletes' Commission Chair Justine Dupont (FRA), Regular Members Atsushi Sakai (JPN) and Jean Luc Arassus (FRA) and ISA Executive Director Robert Fasulo as Ex-officio Member.

Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California (USA).

For more information, please visit www.isasurf.org