This article details the qualifying phase for surfing at the 2028 Summer Olympics. The qualification system for surfing at the LA28 Olympic Games consists of 48 quota places, with 24 places allocated for men and 24 for women, including host country and universality places. The qualification pathway prioritizes the 2027–2028 World Surf League Championship Tour, the 2028 ISA World Surfing Games, continental representation events through continental multi-event games and 2027 ISA World Surfing Games. Eight men and eight women will qualify through the World Surf League Championship Tour, subject to a maximum of one athlete per country. A further seven athletes per gender will qualify through the 2028 ISA World Surfing Games, also with a maximum of one athlete per country. Five quota places per gender are allocated through continental representation, comprising events for Africa, Oceania, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Additional quota places are awarded to the National Olympic Committees of the highest-ranked teams at the 2026 and 2027 ISA World Surfing Games, subject to the specified qualification conditions. The United States is guaranteed one host-country place per gender if it has not already obtained a qualification place, while one universality place per gender is also available to eligible NOCs. The qualification period runs from September 2026 to June 2028, with the final quota allocations and subsequent confirmation and reallocation procedures completed before the LA28 Games.
Timeline Event Date Venue 2026 Asian Games September 25–29, 2026 Tahara 2026 ISA World Surfing Games November 6–15, 2026 Punta Rocas 2027 Pan American Games August 1-7, 2027 Lima 2027 ISA World Surfing Games May 22-30, 2027 El Sunzal & La Bocana 2027 European Surfing Championships 2027 TBC 2028 World Surf League August 15, 2027 – June 15, 2028 Various locations 2028 ISA World Surfing Games 2028 TBC
Summary
Qualified countries NOC Men Women Total 112 112Total: 2 NOCs 2 2 4
Events
Men's shortboard Event Places Qualified surfer Host nation 1 2028 World Surf League (max. one per NOC) 8 2028 ISA World Surfing Games (max. one per NOC) 7 2026 Asian Games 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games – Africa 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games – Oceania 1 2027 European Championships 1 2026 Pan American Games 1 2026 ISA World Surfing Games (Team) 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games (Team) 1 Universality place 1 Total 24
Women's shortboard Event Places Qualified surfer Host nation 1 2028 World Surf League (max. one per NOC) 8 2028 ISA World Surfing Games (max. one per NOC) 7 2026 Asian Games 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games – Africa 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games – Oceania 1 2027 European Championships 1 2026 Pan American Games 1 2026 ISA World Surfing Games (Team) 1 2027 ISA World Surfing Games (Team) 1 Universality place 1 Total 24
References