Riding the waves in El Salvador: A preview of the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games
World titles and eight spots for Paris 2024 are on the line at the event in El Salvador which will feature Carissa Moore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Gabriel Medina, Kanoa Igarashi as well as rising stars Joao Chianca and Erin Brooks. Watch the Olympic qualifier live on Olympics.com.
Surfing
The road to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games continues at the 2023 World Surfing Games in Surf City El Salvador.
A total of 297 surfers from a record 64 nations will compete on the world-class waves of La Bocana and El Sunzal in the sport’s flagship competition that runs from 30 May to 7 June. With a line-up that features world and World Surfing League champions as well as 28 of the 40 Olympians from Tokyo 2020, these nine days are sure to be packed with fantastic performances and emotion.
Defending champions Team USA are back with Olympic champion Carissa Moore and two-time World Surfing League champion John John Florence at the helm.
Meanwhile, superstars such as Japan’s Olympic silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi and three-time world champion Sally Fitzgibbons of Australia will be trying to clinch a direct ticket to the Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti next year.
Eight slots are up for grabs for athletes from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The stakes are high – and we have all the information you need to enjoy every bit of the action.
From the World Surfing Games to Paris 2024
At the previous qualification event, the 2022 World Surfing Games, men’s and women’s national teams competed to get one extra spot for their National Olympic Committees (NOC).
Japanese men and USA women emerged as the winners, which means they can send three athletes to the next Olympics as compared to the maximum two athletes, per gender, that other NOCs are allowed.
At this year’s edition of the World Surfing Games the qualification spots will go directly to individual athletes from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
A total of eight slots – four men and four women - will be distributed equally among the highest-ranking male and female athletes from these four continents.
Qualification spots for surfers from North and South America, also one per gender, will be decided at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. However, to get there athletes first need to impress in El Salvador. The top five men and top five women representing the Americas at the World Surfing Games will qualify.
Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy, Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, France’s Johanne Defay and Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot have already qualified for Paris 2024 through the World Surf League Championship Tour. The competition in Tahiti would mark a second Olympic appearance for all of them.
2023 World Surfing Games: A celebration of firsts
A record number of nations will take part in this year’s edition of the World Surfing Games thanks to five newcomers, bringing the total to 64.
Czechia is making its debut with a full roster of six surfers. India and Trinidad and Tobago are bringing three male surfers each, while Santa Vevere will be the first and only representative from Latvia.
Mauritus will also be represented for the first time, with one athlete.
The 2023 World Surfing Games will also mark a milestone in terms of gender equality. A record 132 female athletes will compete in El Salvador, which is equivalent to 44 per cent of all competitors.
ISA World Surfing Games 2023: Host El Salvador
Surf City El Salvador is hosting the World Surfing Games for the second time. The first event was held in 2021 and served as the final qualifier for Tokyo 2020 with teams from France, Japan and Portugal performing the best on the La Bocana and El Sunzal waves.
The same spots will host the nine-day competition in 2023.
La Bocana is a left-breaking wave that occasionally goes to the right as well. The wave is powerful with a steep drop and a dredging barrel, providing the ultimate punch for surfers.
Located west of La Bocana, El Sunzal is generally considered easier to manoeuvre. It is a righthand point break that runs in a lengthy line along the coast. Thanks to its consistent waves and scenic views, El Sunzal was once considered El Salvador’s top surfing spot and helped the country’s surf culture take off in the 1970s.
2023 World Surfing Games: Schedule and how to watch
The competition at the 2023 World Surfing Games will begin on 30 May. A detailed competition schedule will be available later and is subject to change depending on the forecast and weather conditions.
Tuesday 30 May: Opening Ceremony and start of competition.
Wednesday 31 May – Tuesday, 6 June: Competition days.
Wednesday 7 June: Finals day, Closing Ceremony.
You can follow all the action live on Olympics.com to see the best surfers in action and be the first to find out which athletes booked their tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Highlights, results and feature interviews will also be posted on our website.