Top Surfers Slam Olympic Surfing Qualification Changes

Yago Dora and others say new 2028 LA Games system is flawed and their concerns were ignored

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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World champion surfer Yago Dora and other top professional surfers have strongly criticized the International Surfing Association (ISA) over changes to the qualification system for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, saying the new system is deeply flawed and that their concerns have been completely disregarded.

Why it matters

Surfing made its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games and will return for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The qualification system for the 2028 LA Games is seen as critical to determining which of the world's best surfers will represent their countries at the Olympics, making the surfers' complaints about the new system a significant issue for the sport.

The details

The ISA, the global governing body for surfing, recently announced changes to the qualification process for the 2028 Olympics that will place a greater emphasis on regional championships and national team selections over the current World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour rankings. Top surfers like Yago Dora have argued that this new system will unfairly disadvantage many of the world's elite surfers who do not have strong national team programs in their home countries.

  • The 2028 Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles.
  • The ISA recently announced changes to the 2028 Olympic surfing qualification system.

The players

Yago Dora

A world champion professional surfer who has criticized the ISA's changes to the 2028 Olympic qualification system.

International Surfing Association (ISA)

The global governing body for the sport of surfing that oversees the Olympic qualification process.

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What they’re saying

“The new qualification system is flawed and our concerns have been ignored.”

— Yago Dora, World champion surfer

What’s next

The ISA is expected to finalize the 2028 Olympic surfing qualification criteria in the coming months, with surfers continuing to voice their opposition to the proposed changes.

The takeaway

The dispute over the 2028 Olympic surfing qualification system highlights the ongoing tensions between the sport's global governing body and the world's top professional surfers, who feel their interests are not being adequately represented in the process.