Note written and presented by the International Surfing Association
All photos: ISA/Evans/Grant

ISA President Fernando Aguerre officially declared the opening of the  Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship 2018 presented by City of San Diego in La Jolla, USA during the event's Opening Ceremony.

With a record 120 athletes from 24 nations taking part, the event kicked off with the ISA signature Parade of Nations and Sands of the World Ceremony.

The 2018 edition also saw a record number of female athletes, with 37, thus being an important example of the ISA's efforts to achieve gender equality in all disciplines of Surfing.

The competition kicked off right after the Opening Ceremony with the first heats of the AS-1 and AS-2 divisions, giving the various international delegations an example of the adaptive surfing talent that has gathered here.

Brazilian Jonathan Borba put in an incredible performance in the AS-1 division, achieving the best two solos of the day with 9 and 8 points, thus adding up to what was the best total score of the afternoon (17 points).

Two past World Champions, South African Antony Smyth (2016) and Australian Mark 'Mono' Stewart (2015, 2016), were among the other standouts of the day with the second and third best total scores respectively.

Canada's Victoria Feige, competing in both the Open and Women's AS-2 divisions, placed second in her heat and expressed her happiness at being reunited with the rest of the adaptive surfing world.

“I first competed in this event in 2016 and was a little intimidated, but the adaptive surfing community has definitely welcomed me with open arms and that has helped the new girls who participate each year,” Feige said.

“We are all here to learn from each other. One of the great things about having so many women is the opportunity to share technical and material knowledge to continue improving in every way.”

Wednesday's festivities began in the morning with the Parade of Nations where each national team marched along the La Jolla Shores beachfront promenade while giving free rein to their national pride and chants.

The parade continued to the stage where the Sands of the World Ceremony took place. Each nation took to the stage with their national flags and sand from their country, pouring it into a transparent container symbolizing the peaceful union of the countries of the world through adaptive surfing.

Dignitaries in attendance included ISA President Fernando Aguerre, Stance President and Co-Founder John Wilson, San Diego City Council President Barbara Bry, and San Diego Parks and Recreation Director Herman Parker.

“Welcome everyone to La Jolla!” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre, “Thank you to Stance and the City of San Diego for helping us bring this World Championship to life once again.

“The inaugural World Championships in 2015 unleashed the power of adaptive surfing across the world. Not just among people who surf, but also among people who had never thought about surfing before and didn’t believe it was possible.

“In times when you look around and see nothing but feelings of hatred, violence and disgusting actions, we have gathered here to show love, peace and sympathy to the rest of the world.

“I wish all the best to the athletes who will compete during this historic week. We are here to show the world that it is possible.”

“Stance is honored to be a part of this event,” said Stance President and Co-Founder John Wilson.

“This is much more than just a championship. It is a meeting of humans who have shown that it is possible to break boundaries.

“This group has come together under the motto of ‘uncommon thread.’ This unites us all as a group of humans who want to make a big impact out there.

“Most importantly, we are here to inspire each other to become better and more creative, more determined, more passionate, more resilient and more grateful for what we have been given. This is what defines this event and makes it so special.”

“I am very proud to see that there is a strong turnout of women this year,” said San Diego City Council President Barbara Bry. “You all send an important message about the importance of gender equality in all countries.”

“It is an honor to be a part of this event,” said San Diego Parks and Recreation Director Herman Parker. “This represents our mission perfectly.”

“We are here to offer entertainment services to the entire community. We are very happy to see all the participants in this fantastic event.”

Schedule
December 13-16: Competition at La Jolla Shores, 7:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday, December 16: Closing Ceremony at La Jolla Shores following the Final of the competition.