The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee - AD74

October 1, 2025

Sarah Hirshland, CEO
Gene Sykes, Chair
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
1 Olympic Plaza
Colorado Springs, CO 80909

To: The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee

As proud representatives of California and home to many surf champions and world class beaches for competition, we are writing to share our opposition to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s (USSS) attempt to take over Olympic surfing governance.

Not only is this move illegal according to the Ted Stevens Act but also it is a shameful and unethical attempt to deny the California and America’s surfing community its rightful place in the LA28 Olympics and beyond. It would sideline USA Surfing and its athletes, the International Surfing Association (ISA)-recognized U.S. federation for all surf disciplines (shortboard, longboard, para, SUP surf and SUP/prone race) and put surfing’s Olympic future in jeopardy.

The unprecedented move by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is gaming the National Governing Body (NGB) certification process in violation of the Ted Stevens Act to hand Olympic commercial rights for surfing to USSS—a winter NGB with no surf lineage, history of governance and a different International Federation.

USSS already manages 10 winter sports and has no surf competition infrastructure, no dedicated surf coaches, and no connections to the athlete development pipeline. They have also applied to become the NGB for the sport of skateboarding to capitalize on two Olympic platforms without investing back into athletes’ development.

The decision would divert LA28 opportunities and revenues away from the California surfing community that invests in talent development, valuable sponsorships, local stewardship and a thriving economy throughout California. The global surf community has united behind USA Surfing, calling on the USOPC to ensure that Olympic surfing remains in the hands of those who know and live the sport.

This effort would have a detrimental effect on the welfare and performance of the athletes. USA Surfing athletes are cared for by Hoag Health doctors and WSL’s team physician located here in California. Detaching a few Olympians from the development pipeline breaks continuity of care (medical, safety, coaching) and weakens long-term U.S. performance.

In addition, it would have far reaching impacts on the local economy and community. With LA28 on U.S. soil, this is the prime moment to reinvest in the sport (e.g., a Hoag High-Performance center) rather than export revenue to an out-of-state winter NGB.

Lastly, it puts the integrity of the sport at risk. The USOPC has a federal duty to develop the sport and protect athletes’ rights. By allowing governance by a different organization, they are prioritizing a harmful commercial carve out at the expense of the sport and athletes.

USA Surfing, recognized as the national federation for the sport of surfing in the U.S., has formally submitted a strong, athlete-centered application to regain certification as the National Governing Body for Olympic Surfing under the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

A decades-long commitment to athlete development that contributed to back-to-back Olympic gold medals, USA Surfing and its application is backed by the International Surf Association, Olympic surfers, the World Surf League, the U.S. Boardriders Clubs, Surf Industry Members Association (SIMA), and top American talent.

Our bipartisan delegation respectfully requests fair and equal consideration of USA Surfing’s application as the logical governing body and steward for surfing. Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to receiving a favorable response.

Sincerely,