​The International Surfing Association (ISA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) updated the qualification process for surfing’s Olympic debut at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. 

The goal of the qualification system is to ensure participation of the world's best professional surfers and promote universal opportunities for surfers from around the world to compete on the Olympic stage.

Upon qualifying for the Olympics through the IOC/ISA criteria highlighted below, USA athletes will become USA Surfing team members, have access to a wealth of resources and support and compete as a team in 2019 and 2020 ISA World Surfing Games (see Making the USA Surfing team). 

Among the new Olympic action sports for 2020 (climbing, skateboarding and surfing), USA Surfing is the only organization to fulfill the governance requirements to be recognized as a National Governing Body, meeting requirements stipulated by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). 

Here are some of the basics about how athletes qualify to surf in the Olympics: 

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WHO

• 40 total surfers (shortboard only) from all participating countries will compete in the 2020 Olympics - 20 men and 20 women. 
• Maximum of four surfers (two men, two women) per a country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) —the organization in each country responsible for their people’s participation in the Olympic Games.  
• Change of nation request deadlines and requirements are governed by the ISA and IOC. 

HOW

The hierarchical order of qualification will be as follows:

• 2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT): The first 10 eligible men and first eight eligible women at the end of the season obtain a quota place on their countries’ teams. 
  
  • Within the 2018 WSL CT, there are male athletes from the United States, Brazil, Australia, France, Portugal, South Africa, and Japan. There are female athletes from the United States, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and France. The 2019 WSL CT composition will be determined at the end of 2018.
• 2020 ISA World Surfing Games:First four eligible men and first six eligible women.
• 2019 ISA World Surfing Games: Four men and four women selected based on their continent. 
• 2019 Pan American Games: Top-finishing eligible man and top-finishing eligible woman in the surfing competitions. *Note – this event is before the end of the WSL 2019 season.
• Host nation slot: One man and one woman slot will be guaranteed for the host nation of Japan, unless already filled through the above hierarchies. Should athletes from Japan qualify regularly, their slots will be reallocated to the highest ranked eligible surfers from the 2020 World Surfing Games.
  
  • Kanoa Igarashi - a dual citizen of the USA and Japan - is very likely to qualify for Japan. In 2018, the ISA approved his Change of Nation request to represent Japan for the duration of his career. Kanoa was a standout surfer on the USA Surfing junior team.

*In accordance with IOC guidelines, the qualification events have been determined in hierarchical order of qualification. For example, if two women have qualified through the first hierarchical order, that NOC will not be able to qualify more women surfers through qualifying events lower in hierarchical order.

Following each qualification event, ISA will publish the results on its website www.isaworlds.com and inform the respective NOC of their allocated quota places. (more information under section G: Qualification Timeline) 

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To view the complete Olympic Qualification System for Surfing in Tokyo 2020, click here. 

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WHERE

• The surfing program at the Olympic Games will take place at Tsurigasaki Beach in Chiba, Japan from July 24-August 9, 2020.

WHAT

• The format for the Olympic competition will be released closer to the 2020 Games, including how the heats will run, how the judges will be selected and the scoring criteria they will employ. 

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