Press Release:
THE INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES A MAJOR COMMITMENT FROM THE SURF INDUSTRY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION FOR OLYMPIC SURFING
SIMA Pledges Full Support For The ISA’s Olympic Surfing Vision And Mission
La Jolla, California, August 26, 2013 – The International Surfing Association (ISA) is pleased to announce that the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) has made a major commitment to support the ISA in its long-term drive for the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic Games. In a unanimous decision, the SIMA Board of Directors pledged its full support, including a sizeable, $25,000 a year, three-year financial commitment, as a Sustaining Partner to the ISA’s “Friends of Olympic Surfing” fundraising program. Â
In becoming the first donor to the ISA’s prestigious “President’s Circle,”SIMA has sent a very strong signal to its stakeholders, including all of theprestigious and successful brands in the surfing industry, that it believes in the ISA’s vision and mission for surfing in the Olympic Games. Â
“We are both honored and humbled by SIMA’s generous support,” said Fernando Aguerre, ISA President. “SIMA, its leadership and its members not only recognize the extraordinary value that surfing could bring to the Olympic movement, but also the exceptional global platform for growth and development that the Olympic Games could provide our sport. We have made a lot of progress over the past five years in this mission, but we still have a lot of work to do. And I’m convinced that, with SIMA’s essential support today, we stand a much better chance for our cause tomorrow.”
In a letter to its 140+ member companies, SIMA President Doug Palladini wrote, “The Board of Directors is very excited to announce that SIMA is stepping up to formally and officially support the International Surfing Association (ISA) in its longstanding effort to get surfing into the Olympics.”
The letter continued, “The SIMA Board clearly sees the opportunity for surfing to be put on display to the entire world in the most prestigious athletic event in existence. It is the Board’s hope that as an important part of the industry, each one of your brands will come along side the ISA and support the effort to get surfing into the Olympics – a once far-fetched idea that is now close to becoming a reality.”
Additionally, SIMA has invited ISA President Aguerre to speak at “Surf Summit,” the surf industry’s annual leadership conference, to be held in May 2014 in Cabo San Lucas. Aguerre, who was a keynote speaker at the conference in 2002, will provide a detailed update to industry leaders on the progress of the ISA’s Olympic surfing efforts.
About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running the Open Division World Championship since 1964, the World Junior Surfing Championship since 1980, the World Masters Surfing Championship since 2007, the World Bodyboard Championship since 2011, the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China, and the World Standup Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship beginning in 2012. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the World Tandem Surfing Championship, and will launch the World Longboard Championship in 2013.
ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 74 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), KarÃn Sierralta (PER), Debbie Beacham (USA) and Layne Beachley (AUS).
