ISA — International Surfing Association

What is the ISA?

The International Surfing Association is the international federation for surfing. It describes itself as “the World Governing Authority for Surfing” and states that it is “recognized by the International Olympic Committee” as such.^[1] Article 4 of its Constitution refers to “the ISA’s position as the International Federation for Surfing within the Olympic Movement, as recognized by the International Olympic Committee”.^[2]

Its legal form is set by Article 1 of the Constitution, in the edition of 1 April 2025: “The International Surfing Association, hereinafter called the ‘ISA’ or ‘Association,’ organized as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation with members.”^[2] Its first stated objective is “To establish and maintain an international association to promote the interests of surfing in all its forms throughout all countries of the world”.^[2]

The Constitution defines surfing as “Any Surfing sport including but not limited to Shortboard, Longboard, Bodyboard, Kneeboard, Skimboard, Tandem Surfing, StandUp Paddle (‘SUP’) Surfing, StandUp Paddle Racing, Bodysurf and Tow In Surfing.”^[2] The ISA’s own about page adds para surfing and wakesurfing to that list.^[1] Olympedia records Fernando Aguerre of Argentina as president since 1994.^[3]

What does the ISA govern or do?

Rules. The ISA publishes a Rulebook; the current edition is dated July 2026 and updates the November 2025 edition, with a tracked-changes version published beside it.^[9] Para surfing has its own classification rules and regulations, in an edition of January 2026.^[9] See Paralympic classification.

Olympic surfing. The ISA publishes the qualification system for Olympic surfing. For LA28 its qualification pathways include continental events (the 2026 Asian Games, the 2027 Pan American Games and the 2027 European Championship), the ISA World Surfing Games of 2026, 2027 and 2028, the 2028 World Surf League Championship Tour, a host-nation allocation and universality places.^[10] See Olympic qualification.

Anti-doping. The ISA states that it “is unequivocally opposed, on ethical and medical grounds, to the practice of doping in sport”; it has delegated the management of its anti-doping programme to the International Testing Agency, and its governing text is the ISA Anti-Doping Rules of 2021.^[8] See anti-doping.

What it does not run. The professional Championship Tour is run by the World Surf League, a separate organisation; the ISA’s LA28 system takes the top five eligible athletes per gender from the 2028 Championship Tour as one of its pathways.^[10]

When was the ISA founded and where is it based?

Founding. The ISA gives 1964 as its founding year.^[1] Two independent sources carry the same year. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that “Surfers formed the International Surfing Federation during the 1964 contest and the federation assumed responsibility for organizing world championships.”^[5] Olympedia records that the ISA “was originally named the International Surfing Federation (ISF) between its foundation in 1964 and 1973.”^[4]

Renaming. The two independent sources date the change from International Surfing Federation to International Surfing Association differently: Olympedia ends the ISF name in 1973,^[4] while Britannica records that “The International Surfing Association [ISA] superseded the federation in 1976.”^[5] No ISA document retrieved gives the date of the change.

Seat. The ISA gives its office as 2187 Newcastle Avenue, Suite 100, Cardiff, CA 92007, United States, and Olympedia independently places its headquarters in Cardiff, California.^[1][3] The Constitution does not name a city; Article 12 provides that “The affairs of the ISA shall be conducted in accordance with the law of the land of the offices of the ISA, which shall govern the construction of this Constitution unless the context otherwise requires.”^[2]

Leadership. Fernando Aguerre has been president since 1994, according to Olympedia.^[3]

How is the ISA recognised?

IOC. The ISA states that it is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, and its Constitution rests its Olympic Movement role on that recognition.^[1][2] The dates come from a single secondary source, Encyclopaedia Britannica: “in 1995, the International Olympic Committee granted the ISA provisional recognition. The IOC confirmed this recognition in 1997 and admitted the ISA into the Olympic movement.”^[5] Britannica also records that “In 1982 the General Association of International Sports Federations recognized the ISA as the world’s governing body of surfing.”^[5] No ISA document retrieved states any of these dates.

Olympic programme. Olympedia records that “At the 129th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016, surfing was approved as a new sport for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics”, and that surfing then remained on the programme for Paris 2024 “as an optional sport for the host nation.”^[4]

ASOIF and WADA. The ISA is one of the 30 full members listed by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, and WADA lists the “International Surfing Association (ISA)” among Code signatories that are ASOIF members.^[6][7]

IPC. Olympedia describes the ISA as an International Paralympic Committee-recognised federation through para surfing, while noting that surfing has not appeared at the Paralympic Games.^[3]

Continental Games. Surfing made its first Asian Games appearance at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, at Tahara, with competition ending on 29 September 2026; the winners earned LA28 places.^[13]

What does the ISA organise?

World Surfing Games. The ISA’s national-team world championship is the ISA World Surfing Games; the ISA’s event pages list editions from 2013 onward.^[12] The ISA’s reports title the 2025 edition the “2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games” and record Australia as team world champion.^[16] The 2026 edition is scheduled for Punta Rocas, Peru, from 6 to 15 November 2026. Under the LA28 system, the highest-ranked team per gender across the 2026 and 2027 editions earns one place per gender for its nation.^[12]

Para surfing. The 2026 ISA World Para Surfing Championship is scheduled for 19–22 November 2026 at DSRT Surf in Palm Desert, California; the ISA’s event pages list earlier editions from 2015.^[14]

Olympic competition. The ISA’s event page gives the Paris 2024 surfing competition at Teahupo’o, French Polynesia, from 27 July to 5 August 2024, with 24 athletes per gender.^[11] Olympedia dates surfing’s Olympic debut to 25 July 2021, at Tsurigasaki beach for the Tokyo 2020 Games.^[3] LA28 surfing is scheduled for Lower Trestles, California, from 15 to 23 July 2028, with “24 Men & 24 Women”.^[10]

Junior championship. The 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship finished in September 2026; the ISA’s report of 13 September 2026 credits Australia with its “10th title” at the event.^[15] See youth and junior sport.

Who are its members?

National federations. The ISA gives its membership as 120 national federations across five continents.^[1] Olympedia, independently, records “117 member national federations as of January 2026”; the two figures are given as each source states them.^[3]

Categories. Article 5 of the Constitution provides that “Membership of the ISA shall be divided into Members, Associate Members and Provisional Members”, and the Constitution states that “A country, nation or territory can only be represented by one NF.”^[2] Under Article 4, “To the extent that the ISA’s activities relate to the ISA’s position as the International Federation for Surfing within the Olympic Movement”, members must also comply with the Olympic Charter and “the World Anti-doping Code, as published by the World Anti-doping Agency”.^[2]

Olympic standing. The ISA’s LA28 page states its standing as an “International Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee”.^[10] See national Olympic committees and national-team selection.