Costa Rican surfers will be able to qualify for Los Angeles 2028 through 6 routes

The International Surfing Association (ISA) announced changes to the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Trestles, San Clemente, California.

 

1. 2026 ISA World Surfing Games (1 spot)

The 2026 open surfing world championship will be the first event to award Olympic spots. The date and venue for the tournament have not yet been announced, but the ISA stated that it will be between October and November.

The event will have a men's team ranking and a women's team ranking, where the three athletes per gender from each country will earn points, and the country leading the table will obtain a spot. The National Olympic Committee and the Surfing Federation will determine the athlete who will fill that spot.

 

2. 2027 Pan American Games Lima (1 spot)

The men's and women's gold medalists will qualify for Los Angeles 2028. The competition will be held from July 23 to August 1 in Punta Rocas.

How to qualify for Lima 2027?

The Punta Rocas wave will welcome the following surfers from the continent:

• The gold medalists in the 2026 PASA Games (a Pan American surfing tournament held annually; the 2026 edition is expected to be in Panama during the first half of the year).
• The gold medalists in the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo. The surfing venue will be the community of Cabarete, Puerto Plata. The tournament will take place from July 24 to August 8, and the two surfers from each country with the best results in the 2026 PASA Games, in both men's and women's categories, will participate.
• The champions of the 2026 ALAS Global Tour.
• The top 3 Latin American athletes in the 2026 ISA World Surfing Games.
• The top 6 of the 2027 PASA Games. Venue and date to be defined.

 

3. 2027 ISA World Surfing Games (1 spot)

The 2027 open surfing world championship will have a men's team ranking and a women's team ranking, where the three athletes per gender from each country will earn points, and the country leading the table will obtain an Olympic spot. The National Olympic Committee and the Surfing Federation will determine the athlete who will fill that spot.

 

4. 2028 ISA World Surfing Games (10 spots)

The top 10 athletes in the 2028 open world championship will qualify for the Olympics, with a limit of one representative per country within this list.

 

5. 2028 WSL Championship Tour (5 spots)

The top 5 of the ranking by June 15, 2028, will qualify for Los Angeles 2028, with a limit of one athlete per nationality.

 

6. Universality slot (1 spot)

If no Costa Rican athlete qualifies through the five previous routes, surfers can apply to be chosen in this category defined by the ISA.

Written by Esteban Guillen/ Surfing Federation