USA Surfing is the ISA-recognized “National Governing Body for Surfing” in the United States. For the first time, surfing was included in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Starting in 2022, USA Surfing will co-locate with bodysurfing in three of their events in Southern California, according to a news release. As in surfing, the competitors will be part of a ranking system. Ongoing discussions may also see USA Surfing events included as part of the California BodySurf Tour, which was established in 2019.
The 2022 USA Surfing events where bodysurfing will take place are:
- Huntington Beach (South side of pier) – Friday, Feb. 11
- San Clemente (T-Street) – Friday, April 22
- Oceanside Harbor (North side of jetty) – Tuesday, June 14
Greg Cruse, CEO of USA Surfing, is enthusiastic about the prospects.
“We have seen the progression of bodysurfing in recent years and impressed with the support of the bodysurfing community,” states Cruse in the news release. “We are happy to partner with USA BodySurfing to help promote this original form of surfing.”
The USA Surfing Championships at the Oceanside Harbor in June will be a week-long event featuring several surfing categories and divisions.
Randy Gilkerson, a director of the Western Surfing Association, spearheaded the initiative to create a strategic alliance between surfing and bodysurfing.
“The WSA also looks forward to including bodysurfing in WSA events. I assisted a bodysurfing contest in Del Mar in October and saw a lot of potential for bodysurfing to grow alongside surfing,” Gilkerson said in the news release.
Competition in the upcoming bodysurfing events will include open and junior divisions, and possibly several age groups. Registration will be available on STACT app and scheduled to open in early January.