When the IOC announced on August 3, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro that surfing, along with other sports, was officially included in the Tokyo 2020 Games, one of the news items in the press room was the enormous problem that the inclusion of skateboarding had.

A huge fight was taking place because the skating federation brought skateboarding into the Olympic world. The skater organization was fighting because a person who had nothing to do with their sport had achieved this.

Surfing was in stark contrast to this situation, two federations, the ISA and the WSL, which historically followed different paths, had decided to join forces to make surfing an Olympic sport a reality in the best possible way. Fernando Aguerre and Paul Speaker (the former CEO of the WSL) celebrated the achievement together.

Last Sunday, during the Founders Cup awards ceremony, the WSL gave Aguerre a historic recognition. Kelly Slater and its new CEO, Sophie Goldschmidt, presented him with an Olympic flag signed by all the competitors and a medal in recognition of the Argentine's work in making surfing the biggest multi-sport event on the planet.

That union that began to take shape between 2015 and 2016, can be said to have gone down the aisle this weekend; and now the ISA and the WSL are walking hand in hand towards the most important challenge in their history.

In the following paragraphs Aguerre describes what has been going on in Lemoore, gives an update on Olympic news and says he wants an ISA in Slater's pool.

Were you surprised by the recognition you received from the WSL?
I had no idea what was going to happen.

How important is it for you to receive it?
It was very nice. A thank you from the WSL, with a very nice souvenir: The Olympic flag with the 25 pro surfers who surfed the event at the Surf Ranch. The WSL had thanked me, but there was never an externalization in such a visible way. Also, receiving it from Kelly, whom I respect and love, was an additional plus.

What was the general comment from the surfers you spoke to on Sunday about the qualifying process for Tokyo that is about to begin?
Everyone is satisfied, and obviously everyone wants to be in it. These will be the first Olympic surfing medals in history. Others will come, but these will always be the first. And besides, at 40, they will all be Olympians, for the rest of their lives, with or without medals…

In a story that had ups and downs, between the ISA and the WSL, how is everything for now?  between you?
It's a good relationship. We are two very different organizations, from many points of view. I think we are complementary. On the ISA side, I have worked with five or six different ASP/WSL leaders in my years as president. I have always had a positive and open attitude with them.

What is your overall assessment of the competition you witnessed in Slater's pool?
The model is simple: basically the same as the ISA World Championships or the traditional Aloha Cup. With the added bonus that the vast majority were and are professional surfing stars. Everything was very well organized and entertaining.

What didn't you like about Slater's pool and the event you attended?
I don't have anything I don't like. One thing I do think is that it would be desirable for the next team event to be held by the ISA in collaboration with the WSL. The ISA has been running team events for 54 years, and these are also the official ISA teams. These were teams put together by the WSL, none of which were selected by the national federations recognised by the ISA and the IOC.

And, in the same way, what did you like the most?
All the good things about swimming pools: constant waves, judging on performance, not luck of the wave you get; they are all the same.

Were you able to surf the wave? How was it?
I have surfed it before. It is a good, fast, long wave… But at the same time, even for the best, it is a wave that can beat you if you don't understand it. It is a wave with personality.

Have you received contact from other manufacturers, with a view to Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028?
There are several wave companies out there, in different stages of development, and with different types of waves. Yesterday another company posted videos of a wave in Waco, Texas.

You were recently at SportAccord in Thailand, there are always some big things brewing there. Please share any news you brought back from there that is worth letting the surfing world know about.
Meetings with Tokyo 2020 executives, discussing issues related to the Games. There is a huge myriad of issues, with unimaginable depth…