USA Surfing Wins Battle for Olympic Governing Body Control
- Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) recognized USA Surfing as the official national governing body (NGB) for the sport in America on April 15, 2026.
- The USOPC approved the application for USA Surfing effective June 1, 2026.
- The recognition follows a contentious battle between USA Surfing, and U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) recognized USA Surfing as the official national governing body (NGB) for the sport in America on April 15, 2026. This decision concludes a multiyear conflict over the leadership and control of Olympic surfing as the United States prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The USOPC approved the application for USA Surfing effective June 1, 2026. In its declaration, the committee stated that the federation is now financially stable and prepared to lead the sport into the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
A Dispute for Olympic Control
The recognition follows a contentious battle between USA Surfing, and U.S. Ski and Snowboard. The latter organization, led by former World Surf League CEO Sophie Goldschmidt, had attempted to take over as the governing body for the summer sport.
U.S. Ski and Snowboard based its claim on the assertion that its leadership possessed experience and relationships in surfing are unmatched from a leadership perspective.
The attempt to shift control ended in November 2025, when U.S. Ski and Snowboard withdrew its application. In a news release, the organization stated that USA Surfing chose public attacks and uninformed legal threats instead of constructive dialogue and engagement
during the dispute over who should oversee the sport.
Financial Instability and Recovery
The struggle for control was exacerbated by previous organizational failures within USA Surfing. According to the organization’s own application, USA Surfing voluntarily agreed to decertify in December 2021. This action followed a USOPC audit that yielded many negative findings
regarding the NGB’s finances.
The path to regaining certification required a significant financial overhaul. In June 2025, USA Surfing announced it had secured a multimillion-dollar endowment to stabilize its finances, a move that proved critical in the battle against U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
USOPC chair Gene Sykes attributed the successful outcome to the organization’s evolution, stating that USA Surfing’s new leadership and new approach has made this moment possible.
Athlete and Industry Support
The decision received strong backing from the surfing community and professional athletes. In a joint statement, Olympians Caroline Marks, Carissa Moore, Griffin Colapinto, Caity Simmers, and Kolohe Andino emphasized the necessity of having a specialized organization lead the sport.
It’s of utmost importance for surfers to be represented by the organization that knows us and our sport, and is exclusively dedicated to what we need to be successful. We also believe it is imperative to preserve the close connection and mentorship between developing talents and the pros on tour who will compete at the next Olympic Games.
Caroline Marks, Carissa Moore, Griffin Colapinto, Caity Simmers, and Kolohe Andino
The athletes further noted that peak performance is best achieved through USA Surfing as the NGB, describing it as an organization with leadership that deeply understands, represents, and serves surfers.
USA Surfing indicated that it enters this role with the support of several key entities, including:
- The International Surfing Association (ISA)
- The World Surf League (WSL)
- Top professional surfers and former Olympians
- The surf industry
- A bipartisan coalition of elected leaders
Looking Toward LA28
With its status as the national governing body restored, USA Surfing will now manage the American Olympic program for the 2028 Games. The organization intends to utilize a surfer-built talent pipeline and high-performance investments to build on the success of back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
The surfing events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are scheduled to take place at Lower Trestles.
In a separate but related development, the USOPC also certified USA Lacrosse as the NGB for its respective sport leading into the Los Angeles Games, where lacrosse will return as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.