JAKARTA, Indonesia — Despite being a three-time world champion in her sport, Liv Stone realized earlier this year that she may never get a chance to compete at the Olympic level.
The 21-year old para-surfer was one of many in the sport’s international community who was distressed to find out that despite years of advocacy, para-surfing— a form of surfing that allows people with physical disabilities to ride waves on a board or wave ski— wouldn’t be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“When I heard it didn’t get in, I was shocked,” said Stone. “Not just for my career, but for all the other athletes as well.”
With para-surfing not being selected for the Los Angeles Games, Stone and other members of the para-surfing and surfing communities are strengthening their advocacy for the sport to be included in future Paralympics, offering creative solutions to help keep their Paralympic surfing dreams afloat.
The push for para-surfing to be included in the Paralympics has been a priority for over half a decade, said Stone.
“We pushed for over five years to get into the Paris Olympics,” said Stone. “Then Paris came and we’re weren’t there … I realized we need to keep pushing.”
Advocates quickly turned their efforts to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, feeling that the sport met many of the criteria needed to be considered, including a certain number of countries and International Paralympic Committee regions, a classification system based on impairments and approximate gender parity for certain divisions, said five-time para-surfing world champion Victoria Feige, who is 38.
But then came the announcement: para-surfing would be passed over the for Los Angeles Paralympics, with para-climbing being included instead.
“LA28’s assessment of Para Climbing and Para Surfing was informed by the global and domestic popularity, the universality at major international events as well as the cost and complexity of both sports within the LA28 venue master plan context,” a Los Angeles Olympics spokesperson wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
“In finalizing our proposal LA28 needed to strike a balance between its commitment to growing the Paralympic Movement and our commitment to manage the size of the Games and our financial responsibility towards the City of Los Angeles.”
Feige said that she was disappointment when she heard the announcement, but with a fresh sense of determination to get parasurfing included in the Games — be it at the Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032 Olympics, she said. “Cost is a real factor. We recognize that,” Feige said. “But I’ve really been trying to think of how can we showcase our value in terms of corporate sponsorship, how can we showcase our value in terms of viewership, and how can we, as athletes, showcase our sport in a way that would justify a higher cost.”
Feige said she and others began brainstorming solutions that could help lower costs or ease logistical difficulties, including the idea that a wave pool could be used to address water safety and infrastructure concerns, or corporate sponsorships or crowd-funding could be utilized to address the higher costs.
The ideas and advocacy garnered attention, and in June an online petition asking for para-surfing to be included in the Los Angeles Games began, getting over 19,000 signatures.
The push to get para-surfing into the Paralympics also has the backing of the International Surfing Association, the world governing authority for surfing that is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, which has advocated for para-surfing to be included in the Games and hosted the ISA World Para (Adaptive) Surfing Championship since 2015.
“You don’t get all the waves that you want — you don’t even get all the waves you paddle for. So what do you do? You go out and paddle harder. That’s what we’re doing to do,” ISA president Fernando Aguerre told The AP. “We’re going to continue to develop para-surfing around the world, including explaining why it should be part of the Paralympic Games.”
While the battle for para-surfing to be included in the next Paralympics is ongoing, Feige said she remains optimistic.
“If we can navigate the ocean with our disabilities, we have the great determination and creativity to find a solution for this problem as well,” said Feige. “We just need a chance to showcase what we can do.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Para-surfing, also known as adaptive surfing, has been gaining popularity in recent years as a sport that provides individuals with physical disabilities the opportunity to ride the waves and experience the thrill of surfing. However, despite its growing popularity and the success of para-surfing competitions around the world, the sport was recently excluded from the lineup of events for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
This decision has sparked outrage among advocates for para-surfing, who believe that the sport should be included in the Paralympics to provide athletes with disabilities the same opportunities for competition and recognition as their able-bodied counterparts. These advocates argue that para-surfing is a challenging and exciting sport that requires skill, strength, and determination, and that athletes with disabilities should have the chance to showcase their abilities on a global stage.
One of the main arguments in favor of including para-surfing in the Paralympics is that it would help to promote inclusivity and diversity within the sporting world. By showcasing athletes with disabilities competing in a sport like surfing, the Paralympics could help to break down stereotypes and misconceptions about what individuals with disabilities are capable of achieving. It would also provide role models for young people with disabilities who may be inspired to take up the sport themselves.
In addition, advocates for para-surfing point out that the sport has a strong following and a growing number of participants around the world. There are already established para-surfing competitions, such as the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship, which attract top athletes from countries all over the globe. By including para-surfing in the Paralympics, these athletes would have the opportunity to compete at the highest level and gain recognition for their skills and achievements.
Despite the exclusion of para-surfing from the 2028 Paralympics, advocates are not giving up on their efforts to have the sport included in future games. They are continuing to push for recognition and support from governing bodies such as the International Paralympic Committee, as well as working to raise awareness and build support for para-surfing within the broader sporting community.
In conclusion, the push for inclusion of para-surfing in the Paralympics is driven by a desire to promote inclusivity, diversity, and equality within the sporting world. Advocates believe that athletes with disabilities should have the same opportunities for competition and recognition as able-bodied athletes, and that para-surfing has the potential to showcase the talents and abilities of individuals with disabilities in a unique and exciting way. With continued advocacy and support, it is hoped that para-surfing will one day be recognized as a Paralympic sport and given the platform it deserves on the global stage.
