(June 13, 2021) - Oceanside, Calif. - The best Adaptive and Para Surfing athletes from across the U.S. mainland and Hawaii will compete in the 2021 Toyota USA Surfing Para Surfing Championship competition and team trials June 15 at Oceanside Harbor North Jetty in Oceanside, Calif. The first heat will start at 8:00 a.m.

Oceanside is known for its high-performance wave conditions and beautiful beaches. Surfline is calling for 4- to -5 feet conditions with onshore winds creating a bit of chop, but plenty of scoring opportunities for the surfers. 

Surfers will compete in several categories based on how the surfers ride the waves – standing, kneeling, prone, assisted and visually impaired.  See full list of competition divisions below.

“Given the collective hardship the world has endured over the course of the last 15 months, I know I speak for everyone when I say just how stoked I am to see the world starting to peer out of the cave! I’m sure everyone is MORE than eager to be getting back into the swing of competition! I know I certainly am,” said team captain Christiaan “Otter” Bailey. “I think more than anything, I’m really just looking forward to seeing everybody’s smiling faces again!”

The USA Surfing Paralympic team trials will be held at the end of competition to determine the team members who will compete for Team USA at global ISA events. The top athletes from across the nation will compete in multiple divisions for the opportunity to join Team USA and represent their country.

Team USA recruited a team of top talent and grit for its 2020 team and is looking to be even stronger in 2021. One third of the 2020 team was comprised of veterans.

‍

2020 team members included: 

Alana Nichols, Reno, Nev.

Barbie Pacheco, Waco, Texas 

Carter Hess, Jacksonville, Fla. 

Christiaan “Otter” Bailey, Santa Cruz, Calif.  

Christy Gardner, Lewiston, Maine

Dana Cummings, Atascadero, Calif. 

Ethan Kairer, Encinitas, Calif. 

Jesse Billauer, Los Angeles, Calif. 

Jose Martinez, Apple Valley, Calif. 

Joshua Loya, La Mesa, Calif. 

Liv Stone, Carlsbad, Calif. 

Mike Pingatore, Chico, Calif. 

Quinn Waitley, Coronado, Calif. 

Sarah Bettencourt, San Diego, Calif. 

Shane Lopes, Pismo Beach, Calif. 

Together, since the inception of the ISA World Para Surfing Games in 2015, Team USA has brought home a consecutive team gold, two team silver medals and team bronze.

“Their commitment to athletic excellence, has developed Team USA into one of the most formidable players on the ISA Para Surfing World Championship stage,” said Bailey, who is a five-time USA Surfing National Champion and the first adaptive surfer to ride both Mavericks and Pipeline.

This week’s event takes on extra significance, as ISA and USA Surfing continue to advocate to have Para Surfing added to the 2023 Pan American Games and eventually the 2024 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse said the athletes and competition provide inspiration for the world to get moving again. “I look forward to seeing America’s adaptive athletes compete every year and am always moved by their skill, athleticism, and personal stories of grit and determination.”

Competition classifications are determined by the International Surfing Association (ISA) based on how the athletes ride the wave. 2021 Para Surfing Sport Classes include: 

• Para Surf Stand 1 - Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an upper limb amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent.
• Para Surf Stand 2 - Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with a below-the-knee amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent, short stature, or leg length difference.
• Para Surf Stand 3 - Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an above-the-knee amputation or both lower extremity amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent.
• Para Surf Kneel - Any surfer who rides a wave in a kneeling position with an above-the-knee amputation or both lower limb amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent.
• Para Surf Prone 1 - Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that does NOT require assistance paddling into a wave and getting back on the board safely.
• Para Surf Prone 2 - Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that DOES require assistance in the water, paddling into a wave, and getting back on the board safely.
• Para Surf Vision Impairment 1 - Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA classification Level B1.
• Para Surf Vision Impairment 2 - Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA classification Level B2 and Level B3.
• Para WaveSki - Exhibition Class - Not an ISA Division

‍