Team USA earned a silver medal, with France taking their first-ever gold, Brazil claiming bronze and England nabbing copper, during the International Surfing Association World Para Surfing Championships that wrapped up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Fourteen world champions were crowned throughout the event, which not only brought 200 athletes from nearly 30 countries to compete, but showcased how the sport could be added to the LA2028 Para Olympics, organizers hope. The event kicked off with a parade down Main Street on Nov. 5.
Team USA surfer Alana Nichols earned a third para surfing gold medal, as well as her first-ever ocean barrel during the event when waves picked up midweek – posting a perfect 10 for the ride.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting it to barrel over me,” Nichols, who lives in San Diego, said in an interview with the ISA. “I don’t know if I have the words yet for that, but it was so sick.”
And the potential for surfing being added when the games come to Los Angeles in a few years in part because of the success of last week’s ISA championships is important she said.
When a sport is added to the Paralympic program, it makes it more accessible for the rest of the world to be involved, she said. She competes in several sports at the Paralympic games and is the first woman Paralympian to win gold medals at both Summer and Winter games for sports such as wheelchair basketball, Paralympic alpine monoskiing and paracanoeing.
“Getting into LA 2028 would be a pivotal moment,” she said of surfing. “It would excel us into a really expansive world of adaptive surfing, so fingers crossed for that.”
Brazil’s Roberto Pino made history during the ISA championships, scoring two 10-point rides to surf a perfect 20-point heat for the first time in the event’s history. The 2020 World Champion’s two perfect scores were earned for a barrel and critical two-turn combo.
Brazilian Felipe Kizu Lima earned his sixth gold…
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