World champion Yago Dora and other elite surfers are criticizing the International Surfing Association (ISA) over changes to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualification system. The revised rules, announced last week, significantly reduce the number of spots available from the World Surf League (WSL) championship tour, a move surfers argue is flawed and disregards their input.
Under the new system, only 10 surfers per gender will qualify from the WSL tour, down from 20. This contrasts with the ISA's own World Surfing Games, which will still offer 20 spots out of a total field of 48. Most remaining athletes will qualify through regional ISA events, with the maximum number of surfers per country increasing to three from two.
"We don't want an easier pathway to qualify than the rest of the surfers," Brazil's Dora told Reuters. "We just wanted it to be fair, and we want to make sure that all the best surfers are representing their nations in the Olympics."
Concerns also stem from the timing of the tour-based selections. With selections scheduled for early 2028, after only four tour events and potentially before the 2027 world champions are decided, top athletes fear exclusion from the highest-profile event in their sport.
Italian surfer Leonardo Fioravanti highlighted the issue on social media: "The proposal that has been accepted today doesn't even guarantee the 2027 world champion competing in the Olympics."
The ISA, through Executive Director Robert Fasulo, maintains that the changes followed lengthy consultations with stakeholders, including the WSL and national federations. Fasulo stated the new system offers more pathways and potentially greater representation per nation, citing past Olympic qualification successes through ISA events. However, surfers like Dora argue that tour selections should consider the full year's performance, emphasizing consistency over single events.