The International Surfing Association just became enemy number 1!
The International Surfing Association, founded in the middle 1960s, is the “world governing body” of surfing according to the International Olympic Committee. You may recall earlier this year when the ISA won surfing’s acceptance into the 2020 Tokyo games. Much back slapping and guffawing. I’ll even admit that, while on the surface I pretended surfing in the Olympics was super dumb in my heart I cheered. Surfing in the Olympics will provide at least three laughs here on BeachGrit.
At least!
And so I made emotional peace with the ISA and its bow tie wearing president Fernando Aguerre … until this morning.
The Association, you see, is currently in a protracted fight with the International Canoe Federation to keep stand-up paddleboarding.
You read that right! Fighting to KEEP stand-up.
The Associated Press reports:
The governing bodies of surfing and canoeing will go to court for control of stand up paddle boarding, a sport that is seen as a future candidate for the Olympic program.
The International Surfing Association says the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been asked to mediate in its dispute with the International Canoe Federation. No timetable for a ruling was suggested.
Stand up paddle blends elements of surfing and kayaking. Athletes stand on a board and generate speed by powering a paddle through the water.
The dispute continues a trend of established Olympic sports bodies seeking control of newer, youth-focused disciplines.
The world gymnastics body has been trying to incorporate parkour, which combines running, climbing and acrobatics across urban architecture.
This is our chance to rid ourselves of this hideous curse Laird Hamilton wrought. It is our chance to be forever done with the SUP and it boils my blood, just boils it all the way that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is being squandered.
Give that shit to International Canoeing! Pay them to take it!
Oooooooh I’m mad. So mad that if I was at an International Surfing Association banquet right now, or like the Surfer Poll awards, I would go to the stage, drunkenly sway from side to side, then lean into the mic and say, “Fuck the ISA.”
That’s how mad I am.
Chas Smith needs a Snickers bar.
parkour-ing is not a crime
There are things we choose not to mention about the 90’s.
If you’ve never enjoyed full house then Sterling Spencer went to a lot of trouble for nothing.
Laird would go.
Laird should go.
Oh he will!
who does the most coke out of kai nevillies crew?
SUP is such old news (just like Laird), The concern here should be that WISSA, the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (http://www.wissa.org) and the International Skeeter Association (foiling Iceboats), are trying to take hydrofoil surfing from us all and trying to get it into the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. You can have Laird Hamilton, but we need to keep Kai Lenny and Punker Pat to ourselves.
We can make a difference. No longer shall I call them SUPs. I will call them SUCs.
You don’t call an elephant an aardvark. So why should we call Stand Up Canoers SUPs when we and they know damn well that they are SUCs.
I’m down with that.
Hang on wasn’t there some “French Legend” SUP to snowboarding?? That was cutting edge youth marketing in the extreme, something that Fernando will be all over.
Imagine the surf companies rubbing their hands together with glee for all coin they will make when we all surf with 2 boards and a paddle, plus new stand up special wetsuit, that you can discard once you transfer to your shortboard/snowboard, after you have thrown your paddle at someone’s head.
Gonna be awesome!!
i’m off to Germany to SUP in the river wave!!
who the fuck is the long bearded guy?? he looks even drunker than the other bunch..
Yo grandpappy.
It’s been easy to dismiss the ongoing mission of the ISA to “grow surfing”, as nothing more a thinly veiled effort to sell more surf shit by those who stand to profit from it. Fernando however is a tough one to figure. It’s assumed he has long since divested any commercial interests (Reef) so I do find it curious that any surfer would want to put more people in any lineup. We need a BG exclusive interview with Mr. Aguerre to ask the question: Why do we need to grow the sport?
When the ISA is finished with surfing it’ll be about as cool as golf and as popular as ISIS, keep up the good work ISA, we’ll have empty lineups before long…
ah a bit like what the WSL has done for Surfing , well the industry anyhow. No self respecting surfer would be caught in “surf wear!”
We can help this along! Let’s all grow our hair, give up on personal hygiene, smoke a heap of pot and quit our day jobs. We can then interfere with as many local women (and/or men, I don’t care what juices you up) as possible. In a consenting, loving way of course. Mission complete, our return to the 70s and social pariahs is done!
I will forever wonder why Noa Deane decides to dress like he’s auditioning for a part in an episode of Season 7 or 8 of Full House as one of Stephanie Tanner’s delinquent friends and/or love interest.