The Basque Surfing Federation (EHSF, for its initials in Basque) has embarked on a new path towards independence from international federations, seeking to surf as a nation separate from Spain in international tournaments and for this it has the support of the local government, according to the local newspaper News from Gipuzkoa.

From 1990 to 2005, the EHSF participated in this way before the European Federation and is seeking to regain this status. Representatives of the federation travelled to the headquarters of the International Surfing Association to request recognition, among them: the delegate of the Basque executive, Jorge Fernández, the vice-president of the EHSF and president of the Guipuzcoan Federation, Maialen Sáez and Esther Castiñeira.

In the offices they left a legal report, the petition and an audiovisual work documenting the importance that surfing has in Euskadi.

"This is the first step towards regaining the international position that EHSF already had in the European Federation in 1990, for 15 years, until it ceased to be a member in 2005 with the entry of the Spanish Surfing Federation," explained Sáez.

For the Basque government, “this is a historic step whose positive resolution would mean that the Basque team can compete on its own behalf in the world tournaments organised by the ISA”, it adds, and points out that “the legal and regulatory requirements for regaining official international representation have been met”. “The objective is to support and encourage professional surfers and give them the opportunity to also represent the Basque teams in the world championships”.

For his part, the Director of Sports of the Basque Government, Jon Redondo, said: “Official recognition at an international level of our federations and, where appropriate, of our national teams is possible in a significant number of sports. Surfing is one of them, since the ISA admits federations from numerous territories with characteristics similar to Euskadi. We hope that the request has a positive resolution and, if not, we will continue to insist and support EHSF.”

Hawaii is presumably the example Redondo is referring to, as the state competes in tournaments without Olympic implications, as an independent state facing the United States. It used to do so in the open championships as well.