ISA takes Huge Step towards making Surfing Olympics a Reality
Adding an international flavor — ISA adds China, Dubai, Malaysia and Thailandi to its roster
awesome stuff…! good news
Dubai, home to the next ISA World Games? Maybe not yet, but at least they’re in the club.
It would appear that the International Surfing Association (ISA) has taken yet another stroke closer to getting surfing in the Olympics. Historically the ISA has been dominated by surf powerhouses such as Australia, Hawaii, Brazil and the U.S., but with a membership of more than 50 nations, they’re well aware of the fact that if waveriding is ever going to find footing with the IOC the obvious goal has to be the incorporation of more developing surf nations (think Jamaican bobsled team). Per the ISA’s announcement last Friday, they’ve now welcomed Thailand, People’s Republic of China, Malaysia and the Dubai into the fold.According to their statement to the press, “Surfing Thailand, Surfing China, Malaysian Surfing Association and Dubai Surfing Association have successfully fulfilled the requirements for membership.”
Granted, it’s going to take awhile before surfing catches up with ping pong in China, and more surfers may be drawn to Thailand for the massages rather than the waves, and it’s anybody’s guess what kind of surf-scape the developers in Dubai will come up with (a couple years back an inventor friend told me a sheik in Dubai had approached him about building a wave pool capable of replicating Pipeline), but humor and speculation aside, as these countries begin to be more visible in the surf world it can only translate into positive growth for the sport.
“We are encouraged by the recent additions of Thailand, China, Malaysia and Dubai as members of the ISA,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre. ” With over 25 million surfers around the world, the ISA is interested in helping them become part of our organization, and helping them build a better surfing future in their countries. This latest addition is part of our work towards the universality of surfing.”
ESPN Sports