ISA Announces El Salvador Will Host 2023 ISA World Surfing Games

Published on 23/06/2021
La Jolla, California, June 22, 2021 – Following the extraordinary success of 2021 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games, the ISA and the government of El Salvador announced their joint commitment to host the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games again in El Salvador. In principle, the 2023 World Surfing Games will serve as a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where the surfing competitions will be held in Tahiti. The qualification status is subject to approval by the International Olympic Committee. As part of the agreement to continue to bring major surfing events to El Salvador, the Vissla ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is planned to be held in El Sunzal/La Bocana in 2022. 

Despite being held in the midst of a pandemic with several restrictions and robust COVID-19 protocols, the 2021 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games set a new standard for world class organization for major surfing competitions of any kind. The success of the World Surfing Games not only reflects the deep commitment by the Salvadorian leadership, and its President Nayib Bukele, to the global development of surfing, but also its ambition to establish the country as a leading surfing destination. Through its Surf City campaign, the government of El Salvador has made surfing an integral part of the country’s national and international socio-economic development plans and destination marketing. With at least 50 outstanding surf spots along its coastline, El Salvador offers a rich and colorful palate of options for high-level competitive surfing. The specific details of the events are still being finalized. 

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said: “We have found amazing partners in El Salvador for the long-term benefit of surfing. “I would especially like to thank President Bukele and Minister Valdez for their very strong commitment to the success of these World Surfing Games, and their belief in the ISA and our mission. What they have managed to achieve here in these last days is nothing short of remarkable and for this, we are grateful and eager to continue to expand and strengthen this partnership. “Just like the hundreds of surfers from around the world who came here and experienced El Salvador’s beautiful country and warm hospitality, we look forward to continuing to return here in the interest of making a better world through surfing.” 

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele said: “A very short time ago, we decided that El Salvador had to build a new future, to change all the things that made us suffer in the past, and to build our own destiny. As strange as it may sound for some, we decided that surf will be part of that destiny. Surf changes people’s lives. We found a great partner in the ISA because they share and promote that ideal. We’ll always be grateful for their help placing El Salvador in the history of surf and its journey to become an Olympic sport. “As part of the SurfCity initiative, we are honored to host the Games again and continue to show the world what our beautiful country has to offer.”

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