Long a topic of controversy and debate, the Olympic qualification for surfing runs through the ISA (International Surfing Association). It’s been president Fernando Aguerre’s lifelong dream and mission to get surfing into the Olympics, which was first realized in 2020 at the Tokyo (Japan) Olympics. To this point, I personally feel that he should be able to set the qualification system however he likes, but this is where the controversy and debate enter the picture. If you’ll remember, certain WSL surfers threatened to boycott the qualification system for the 2028 Olympics in its entirety, and a number of them were vocal about their displeasure on Social Media, including new World Surf League CEO Ryan Crosby, adding more fuel to the fire.
At this point it feels as if this drama has all but settled, especially since the ISA has revised said qualification system in favor of what some of the WSL athletes were asking for. I don’t have the full details on who or what qualifies at the moment, but I do know that Kanoa Igarashi and Mirai Ikeda are the first Male and Female to qualify for surfing in the 2028 LA Olympics, which will be held at Lower Trestles. They did this by winning the Surfing event at the Asian Games about a week ago.
I had not previously heard of Mirai Ikeda, but she has already competed on the Women’s Challenger Series (in 2025), she has won multiple QS events, and she medaled in the ISA World Junior Championship (Bronze, 2022), notably finishing above CT Rookie Tya Zebrowski. She beat former Olympian Siqi Yang from China in the Final to take the Gold Medal and earn her spot in LA 2028.
Kanoa, while one could say might have been expected to win, did not have as easy a draw as you would think. He matched up against Japanese Teammate and CT competitor Connor O’Leary in Round 3, after already losing a non-elimination Heat to him in Round 1. Kanoa also had to beat former World Junior Champion Bronson Meydi in the Quarter Finals. Bronson put up a respectable 11.33 Heat Total against the longtime Tour Vet Igarashi.
Also worth noting, just before heading to Japan for the Asian Games, Kanoa was leading the Final of the Lowers Pro CT event until Miguel Pupo stole the victory from him with under 7 minutes to go. “I know the wave at Trestles so well, I’ve had such great success there the last couple of years, and it’s a wave I’ve grown up surfing. I’d built up more pressure around this one than the others, but there’s a huge weight off my shoulders now. There’s one mission to focus on.” Kanoa is admittedly determined to medal at Trestles, and he’s looking like he has a solid shot.
We’ll stay updated with the next qualifiers as they come.
Until then.
Cheers,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield