What USA Surfing does

USA Surfing is the sole USOPC-certified National Governing Body and ISA-recognized national federation for Olympic and Paralympic surfing in the United States. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Clemente, California—adjacent to the LA28 Olympic venue at Lower Trestles—the organization governs competitive surfing across six ISA disciplines (shortboard, para surfing, longboard, SUP surf/racing, prone paddling, bodyboarding) and operates a complete athlete development pipeline from junior championships through Olympic and Paralympic representation.

The organization delivers its mission through three operational pillars: competitive programming (Prime Series circuit with East and West Coast stops, USA Surfing Championships crowning national champions across Junior, Para, Longboard, SUP, and Racing disciplines, and ISA Travel Teams representing the U.S. at world championships); high-performance athlete services (coaching, sports medicine, nutrition, Power Your Performance workshops, international competition support, and the internally developed Surfing AI Coaching tool—a 2021 computer-vision system that extracts surf-specific performance metrics such as speed, height, projection, rotation speed, and paddle strength from video footage); and supporting infrastructure including a national rankings system, the SurfSafe athlete safety program, and integrations with LiveHeats (event management), Sport80 (membership), Shopify (merchandise), Qgiv (donations), and YouTube (live broadcasts).

USA Surfing operates as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, generating revenue from membership fees, corporate sponsorships and licensing, individual donations, merchandise sales, and event-driven commercial partnerships. It serves a distributed base of athletes, parents, coaches, judges, certified surf schools, and fans through a hybrid go-to-market combining event-driven athlete acquisition, community-led engagement via seven affiliated regional qualifying organizations (US Boardrider Clubs, Eastern Surfing Associations, Western Surfing Association, Hawaii Surfing Association, NSSA, Great Lakes Surfing Association, Texas Gulf Surfing Association), and direct-to-consumer donation and merchandise channels. Leadership includes CEO Greg Hulsizer and Board Chair Rob Pendergist.

Name

USA Surfing

Legal name

USA Surfing, Inc.

Website

https://usasurfing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USA Surfing is the USOPC-certified National Governing Body and ISA-recognized federation for Olympic and Paralympic surfing in the United States, operating competitive events, national teams, athlete development programs, and high-performance coaching infrastructure from San Clemente, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Sports Federation / Olympic Surfing Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

International Sport Federations (IFs) (MPAKAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE), Athletics Compliance, Eligibility & Governance (EDALAIAJ)

Keywords

• National governing body
• Competitive surfing events
• Olympic surfing programs
• Athlete development services
• Surf team management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Clemente

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: USA Surfing generates revenue through membership fees from athletes, parents, coaches, judges, officials, surf shops, surf schools and fans seeking access to competitive opportunities, resources, and partner discounts.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations support the USA Surf Team including ISA Para Team, ISA Junior Team, and ISA Longboard Team. Donors are described as 'the Team behind the Team' supporting athlete development and training.
3. Sponsorship and Partnership Revenue: NGB certification opens door to new and bigger sponsorship, licensing, and partnership agreements funding athlete development programs and high-performance coaching infrastructure.
4. Merchandise Sales: USA Surfing operates a Shopify storefront selling USA Surfing merchandise.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

USA Surfing governs competitive surfing disciplines in the United States as the USOPC-certified National Governing Body and ISA-recognized national federation. It sanctions and runs the Prime Series circuit and USA Surfing Championships across Junior, Para, Longboard, SUP, and Racing disciplines, selects and manages national teams for ISA World Championships, and operates a High Performance Program that delivers coaching, sports medicine, and AI-powered video analysis to elite and developing athletes. Membership programs, national rankings, the SurfSafe athlete safety initiative, and merchandise sales support the broader competitive surfing ecosystem.

Product overview

USA Surfing operates as the ISA-recognized National Governing Body and USOPC-certified National Governing Body for Olympic and Paralympic surfing in the United States. The organization delivers a comprehensive ecosystem of competitive programs, training initiatives, and member services. Core offerings include the Prime Series (competitive circuit with East and West Coast stops), USA Surfing Championships (annual national championships across Junior, Para, Longboard, SUP, and Racing disciplines), ISA Travel Teams (national teams for world championships), and the High Performance Program (coaching, sports medicine, and the Surfing AI Coaching Tool for video analysis). Supporting services include a membership program, rankings system, Power Your Performance workshops, SurfSafe athlete safety initiatives, and a donation program. The organization leverages integrations with LiveHeats for event management, Sport80 for membership, Shopify for merchandise, and YouTube for broadcasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USA Surfing Prime Series Competitive surfing circuit featuring the best American surfers competing for rankings and qualification to national championships, with West Coast and East Coast stops and live broadcasts.
• USA Surfing Championships Annual national championship event crowning champions across multiple disciplines including Junior, Para, Longboard, SUP Surf, and SUP Racing, qualifying athletes for ISA World Championships.
• Power Your Performance Workshops Workshop series covering mental skills, nutrition, resilience, wave pool training camps, aerial progression, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology for developing elite surf athletes.
• ISA Travel Teams (World Championship Team Programs) National teams representing the USA at ISA World Championships across disciplines including Juniors, Para Surfing, Longboarding, SUP Surf, SUP Race, and Masters.
• Junior National Team Top U18 and U16 boys and girls surfers who qualified to represent USA at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, training with USA Surfing coaches year-round.
• Para Surf National Team Para surf athletes representing USA at international competitions across multiple divisions including Stand, Prone, WaveSki, and VI; the USA has positioned itself as a world leader in para surfing.
• High Performance Program Comprehensive athlete development program providing coaching, sports medicine, technique analysis, sports psychology, nutrition support, wave pool training, and international competition support for elite surfers.
• Surfing AI Coaching Tool AI-powered video analysis tool providing coaches with metrics on athlete performance including speed, height, projection, rotation speed, and paddle strength for technique improvement; developed in 2021 and used within the High Performance program.
• USA Surfing Membership Membership program offering access to competitions, resources, partner discounts, and opportunities for athletes, parents, coaches, judges, officials, surf shops, surf schools, and fans.
• National Rankings System National rankings for Junior, Longboard, Para, and SUP disciplines tracking competitive surfers' performance across qualifying competitions and events.
• Surfing Icon Branded Merchandise USA Surfing branded merchandise sold through a Shopify storefront, providing apparel and accessories that generate revenue to support USA Surfing programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Back-to-back Olympic gold medals produced through USA Surfing's athlete development pipeline
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Endless SurfcoreTechnology or Integration · 16 June 2026Wave pool technology provider powering the Utah-based American Training Center for USA Surfing National Team. Endless Surf's pneumatic wave technology creates ocean-quality waves replicating conditions including Lower Trestles.
• HurleycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of USA Surfing's Premier U18 Championship hosted at Lower Trestles (LA28 Olympic venue). Longtime supporter returning as presenting sponsor.
• Jersey Mike'smajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on USA Surfing website. Sponsoring Prime Series events with branded presence.
• Carver SkateboardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on USA Surfing website as part of partner ecosystem.
• Coach's OatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner offering USA Surfing members 15% discount with code USASURFING15. Branding visible at events.
• KhombuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on USA Surfing website as part of partner ecosystem.
• DryrobemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner backing USA Surfing's Next Wave initiative. Logo displayed as partner supporting athlete programs.
• Visit OceansidemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner and host city for USA Surfing Championships 2026. Oceanside hosted championship events at North Jetty.
• Hammers LegendsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on USA Surfing website as part of partner ecosystem.
• NOMADIXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on USA Surfing website as part of partner ecosystem.
• International Surfing Association (ISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA is the global surfing federation recognized by IOC as World Governing Authority. USA Surfing is ISA-recognized national federation for the United States. ISA President Fernando Aguerre expressed strong support for USA Surfing's NGB certification.
• World Surf League (WSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSL CEO Ryan Crosby expressed support for USA Surfing's leadership. USA Surfing alumni include surfers currently competing on 2026 WSL Championship Tour. Partnership essential for athlete development pathway.
• U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSOPC certified USA Surfing as National Governing Body effective June 1, 2026. USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland expressed satisfaction with progress and looks forward to collaborative partnership for LA28 and beyond.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Surfing England: National governing body for surfing in England. Performs the same national federation role as USA Surfing, including managing ISA travel teams, domestic competitions, and member development programs.
• USA Track and Field: USOPC-certified National Governing Body for athletics. Operates the same Olympic federation model as USA Surfing on a larger scale, including national teams, events, athlete development, and membership programs.
• Surfing Australia: The national governing body for competitive surfing in Australia and ISA-recognized federation. Operates the same role as USA Surfing in another major surfing nation, running national teams, events, and athlete development pathways.
• USA Ski and Snowboard: USOPC-certified National Governing Body for skiing and snowboarding. Directly comparable structure to USA Surfing, and notably attempted to take over surfing governance in 2024 before withdrawing — illustrating the competitive context between NGBs.
• USA Swimming: USOPC-certified National Governing Body for swimming in the United States. Operates an analogous structure to USA Surfing: Olympic pipeline, athlete development, national teams, and membership-based community programs, but for a larger aquatic discipline.
• USA Water Polo: USOPC-certified National Governing Body for water polo. Same NGB structure as USA Surfing, governing athletes in a water-based Olympic discipline with national teams, junior development, and Olympic preparation programs.
• Surfing New Zealand: ISA-recognized national federation for surfing in New Zealand. Directly comparable role to USA Surfing — running national teams, ISA travel teams, and domestic competition circuits — albeit at a smaller national scale.

Broad incumbents

• World Surf League (WSL): Operates the professional Championship Tour and is the dominant commercial entity in competitive surfing. While not a federation, WSL develops and commercializes many of the same elite athletes USA Surfing fields for Olympic teams, making it the most consequential commercial peer.
• International Surfing Association (ISA): The IOC-recognized World Governing Authority for surfing globally. USA Surfing is an ISA-recognized national federation; ISA sits one level above USA Surfing in the international federation hierarchy and sets global competition rules.

Others

• Surfrider Foundation: U.S.-based environmental nonprofit advocating for ocean and wave protection. Not a competitive peer, but operates as a sibling surfing-focused nonprofit with grassroots membership, donor base, and brand recognition that intersects with USA Surfing's community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usasurfteam
• YouTubeyoutube.com/usasurfing
• Facebookfacebook.com/USASurfing
• Instagraminstagram.com/usasurfing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usasurfing

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about USA Surfing