San Clemente, California (December 12, 2018) – USA Surfing is stoked to announce a World Adaptive Championship team of talent prepared to take on the world’s best this week at the 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Championship in La Jolla, Calif. A record-breaking 120 competitors from 24 nations will compete for world titles.
USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse said Team USA’s mix of defending champions and first-time competitors makes this year’s event extra exciting to watch. “The skill, athleticism and stoke of Team USA’s adaptive surfing athletes are next level,” Cruse said. “I can’t wait to see this week’s performances.”
Team USA’s Dani Burt and Alana Nichols are defending champions. Fifteen-year-old Liv Stone of Lancaster, Penn. is a first-time competitor. Stone was born with congenital limb deficiency, plays soccer, is on her high school’s rifle team and dreams of becoming a Paralympic surfer. "Surfing is my world, my passion, and I couldn’t imagine my life without being in the water. When I am out surfing in the ocean, there’s a feeling I get like nothing I’ve ever felt, and that fills me with the utmost joy," Stone said in an Instagram post.
Twelve individual World Champions and one Team World Champion will be crowned in this fourth edition of the event.The World Adaptive Surfing Championship classifies athletes into six groups based on the type and level of impairment. Each classification feature san open gender division and a women’s division.
AS-1: Surfers who ride waves in a standing position (lower level impairment)
AS-2: Surfers who ride waves in a standing or kneeling position (higher level impairment)
AS-3: Surfers who ride waves in a seated position
AS-4: Surfers who ride waves in a prone position
AS-5: Surfers who ride waves in any non-standing position and need assistance to paddle into waves and while in the water.
AS-VI: Surfers who have a visual impairment.
Team USA members in each division include:
AS-1 (Stand/kneel)
Women
Olivia Stone, Manheim, Penn.
Lexi Youngberg, Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Men
Carter Hess, Jacksonville, Fla.
Ryan Gambrell, San Diego, Calif.
AS-2 (Stand/kneel)
Women
Dani Burt, San Diego, Calif.
Men
Thomas Wilson, Rocky Mount, N.C.
AS-3 (Upright)
Women
Sarah Bettencourt, San Diego, Calif.
Men
Jeff Munson, Corona Del Mar, Calif.
AS-4 (Prone)
Women
Alana Nichols, San Diego, Calif.
Men
Christiaan Bailey, Santa Cruz, Calif.
AS-5 (Assist)
Women
Quinn Waitley, San Diego, Calif.
Men
Jesse Billauer, Los Angeles, Calif.
AS-Visually Impaired
Women
Barbie Pacheco, Valley Mills, Tex.
Men
Josh Loya, La Mesa, Calif.
You can watch all the action live at www.isasurf.org
SCHEDULE
December 12
December 13-16
December 16
Contact: Becky Fleischauer, 302-588-0671, becky (at) usasurfing (dot) org
USA Surfing is the National Governing Body for surfing in the United States, recognized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USA Surfing’s mission is to promote and grow the sport of surfing and support United States athletes of all backgrounds to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American competition. USA Surfing will oversee and support America’s Olympic team as surfing makes its debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and surfing and stand-up paddleboarding athletes compete in the 2019 Pan American Games.
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