The governing body for U.S. Olympic surfing ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles remains undecided, despite USA Surfing now standing as the only qualified applicant in the process. The decision rests with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which postponed naming a national governing body last fall, again in December, and is not scheduled to revisit the issue until an upcoming meeting in April.
USA Surfing, which is headquartered in San Clemente, is seeking recertification after voluntarily stepping down as the sport’s governing body in 2021 following concerns raised by the Olympic committee regarding financial reporting. The USOPC assumed management duties for surfing during the 2024 Paris Games and later reopened the certification process for future Olympic cycles.
In November, U.S. Ski & Snowboard withdrew its application to govern surfing (and has since moved on to attempting to govern skateboarding), leaving USA Surfing as the sole remaining applicant. So far, an audit of USA Surfing has since been completed and presented publicly, which is a required step in the recertification process.
USA Surfing executive director Becky Fleischauer said the ongoing delay has practical consequences as the Olympic qualification period begins this year. “This is where it starts, and we’re eager for a decision; every day that passes is a day of lost preparation and planning for the 2028 Olympics,” Fleischauer said. “We’re losing time and preparation opportunities, and funding and sponsorship opportunities. We’re hoping that the timeline can be accelerated.”
The Olympic surfing competition is scheduled to take place at Lower Trestles. The break has long served as a cornerstone of USA Surfing’s amateur development pathway, which continues to host national championships at the site.
Many of the country’s top surfers came through that system, including (but not limited to) San Clemente’s Caroline Marks, Griffin Colapinto, Crosby Colapinto and Kolohe Andino.
While awaiting certification, USA Surfing has continued operating its programs, securing sponsorship commitments, launching athlete performance workshops, planning wave pool training camps, expanding live contest broadcasts, and partnering with Hoag Hospital for sports medicine services. The organization recently appointed San Clemente resident Todd Kline, a former professional surfer and longtime World Surf League commentator, as its surf athlete commissioner.
Local officials — including California Assemblymember Laurie Davies, whose district includes Lower Trestles — have urged the Olympic committee to expedite their decision.
On Feb. 6, Davies sent a letter to USOPC leadership requesting an expedited decision. In the letter, Davies addressed CEO Sarah Hirshland and Board Chair Gene Sykes, writing that the delay affects “planning and preparation by USA Surfing, athletes, sponsors, LA28, the City of San Clemente, local, state and regional coordination, and every other individual and organization involved with U.S. Olympic surfing.”
Davies noted that USA Surfing is now the only applicant seeking certification and wrote that postponements could delay LA28-related opportunities and revenues tied to California’s surfing economy. Davies also pointed to the strengths of having a local governing body for the event, including the notion that “having a governing body that is local, recognizes and understands the importance of surfing, and is familiar with the community is crucial. USA Surfing has existing relationships with community leaders, athletes, key stakeholders and the state’s surfing industry, which will result in a great Olympic experience for the athletes, worldwide viewership, visitors and residents,” she wrote.
The USOPC’s next scheduled discussion on the matter is in April. Until then, governance for Olympic surfing remains unresolved as preparations continue for an event set to unfold in 2028.
Ella Boyd is a writer and photographer. Her work appears in The Surftime Journal, Powder, Surfer, Daybreak Magazine, The Inertia, and The Encyclopedia of Surfing. In 2023, she was a finalist for the Follow the Light Surf Photography Grant Program. She mostly logs, but rides a surf mat or kneeboard if the conditions call for it. You can find her work here: ella-boyd.com.