The ISA announced yesterday in a press release that the 2019 edition of the World Surfing Games will have the traditional Californian brand Vans as its main sponsor.

This will be the first time in history that the ISA sponsors one of the main ISA tournaments, which this year will have as its main attraction the top ranked players in the WSL CT.

The event will qualify four men and four women for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

And, just like surfing's Olympic debut, there will be a two-day surf festival during the event's opening weekend showcasing Japanese surfing culture, food, music and lifestyle.

It will feature appearances by well-known Japanese musicians such as Def Tech, HIRAIDAI and more.

“We welcome Vans as a partner of our event. This is an amazing moment in the history of the ISA and the World Surfing Games. We are thrilled that Vans has understood and embraced the value of this year’s historic edition, as a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

Meanwhile, Bobby Gascon, who is Vans' global director of action sports, said: “This is an exciting time for surfing worldwide (…)

We are excited to support the world's surfing elite in their Olympic quest and look forward to partnering with the ISA in furthering the momentum of surfing culture on the world stage and beyond."