NSSA launches its first regional conference for Central America and Puerto Rico
The National Scholastic Surfing Association is launching its own circuit in the region for the 2026-2027 season, with a regional headquarters in Costa Rica and a direct path to the NSSA National Championships in the United States.
SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA — The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) has announced the creation of the NSSA Central America & Puerto Rico Conference, the organization's first regional conference for Central America and Puerto Rico. The new circuit, which kicks off in the 2026-2027 season, aims to connect the region for the first time with the NSSA's national structure and offer its surfing athletes a direct path to international competitive surfing.
An organization with over four decades of experience
The project has the backing of the NSSA, an organization that has been promoting competitive surfing in the United States, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii since 1978, and has trained multiple world champions within its ranks. On February 12, 2026, the NSSA Puerto Rico Conference, along with its director Ernesto “Ernie” Álvarez, appointed Michael Castro Arias as a board member and official delegate for Costa Rica and Central America, with the aim of consolidating this new regional chapter. With this step, the region gains its own circuit connected to the NSSA's national structure for the first time.
A mission focused on young talent and sports tourism
The conference aims to identify and promote new surfing talents in the region, popularizing the sport through tournaments in coastal provinces. Its main objectives include:
● Managing the development of junior athletes under the highest international NSSA standards.
● Promoting sports tourism in coastal areas and increasing the exposure of regional competitive surfing.
● Opening doors for Central American and Puerto Rican athletes to compete in the most prestigious championships in the United States, with the possibility of qualifying for “Prime” events such as US Surfing and Surfing America, as well as participating in the NSSA championships in the United States, the most important and prestigious youth surfing events in America.
“For me, it is an enormous pleasure and pride to extend our sports conference from our headquarters in Puerto Rico to the Central American region, thus marking a historic moment for the National Scholastic Surfing Association by inaugurating this prestigious platform for youth sports development in our sports in this very important region. It is an honor to share this great project with professionals and leaders like coach Mike Castro from Costa Rica, ensuring the highest standards for our athletes,” said Ernesto “Ernie” Álvarez, conference director.
“For me, having the opportunity to have the NSSA in Central America boils down to opportunities for sports growth, excellence, fulfilled goals and dreams for all those kids who are looking for a platform that has the values and standards and that can have the best exposure both in terms of their image and in competitive terms, as they would be competing in regional and national events with the best in the United States, and well, I'm super proud, honestly, a very ambitious vision, so to speak, with a lot of optimism about what we are going to do between Central America and Puerto Rico for the NSSA, and I believe that this project will undoubtedly change the Central American and Puerto Rican level, and from there we will have great exponents of world surfing, thanks to our great effort, love, and teamwork,” said Mike Castro, board member and official delegate for Costa Rica and Central America.
The NSSA Central America & Puerto Rico Conference will have its regional headquarters in Costa Rica during the 2026-2027 season. More information about the tournament schedule, categories, and registration process is available at nssacapr.org.
About the NSSA Central America & Puerto Rico Conference
The NSSA Central America & Puerto Rico Conference is a conference of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), founded in 1978 and recognized as the leading scholastic and competitive surfing organization in the United States, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. The conference manages the development of surfing athletes from Central America and Puerto Rico, under the highest NSSA standards.
10 things you should know about the NSSA Central America & Puerto Rico Conference
1- The NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) is one of the most traditional scholastic surfing leagues in the United States and the world, founded in 1978, under the philosophy "books first, boards second": it requires its athletes to maintain academic performance to compete.
2- Its National Championship is considered the highest-profile youth surfing event in the United States, and has been a platform for future world champions who now compete on the WSL Tour.
3- The NSSA has just created a new Central American Conference, expanding its reach beyond Puerto Rico. It should be noted that both conferences are independent, however, they will work together to expand events and reach.
4- The driving force behind this expansion is Costa Rican coach Michael “Mike” Castro Arias, who presented the proposal to Ernie Álvarez, director of the Puerto Rico Conference, and together they brought it to the NSSA leadership in the U.S. for approval. Therefore, Ernie will be the director of both conferences, but Mike will serve as a board member and delegate for the Central American conference.
5- In May 2026, Castro Arias became the first Central American to join the Board of Directors of the NSSA Puerto Rico Conference in the United States, a historic milestone for the region.
6- Costa Rica is the starting point of this new circuit: according to Castro, they are already holding conversations with other Central American countries to join this platform.
7- Five dates have already been set for this first season: September, November, December, March, and May.
8- The results of these events qualifyfor the East Coast regionals of the United States, and from there to the big objective: the annual final in Lower Trestles, California, one of the most iconic venues in world competitive surfing.
9- Costa Rica already had previous representation in the NSSA: surfers Ethan Hollander, Marco Menéndez, Carden Jagger, among others, have competed for the country in events of this league.
10- Castro Arias is not a new figure in Costa Rican surfing: he directs the Limón Educational Sports Surfing Association, founded the Olas y Sonrisas Foundation, received the Aloha Awards in 2022, and is the father of Mikela Castro Bolívar, the country's best young surfer — which gives him a proven track record of youth development behind this new conference.
