The International Surfing Association (ISA) has announced the official opening of the application period for the 2017 ISA Scholarship Program, which distributes financial aid and equipment grants to young surfers around the world.
More than 300 surfers have benefitted from the ISA Scholarship Program since 2007, receiving a total of USD $248,500 to upgrade Surfing equipment, travel to contests, and pay for education fees. The scholarships are awarded to surfers 18 years and under based on their financial need, dedication to Surfing, and academic excellence.
In 2016, 35 surfers from 21 countries across all five continents were selected as scholarship winners, exemplifying the global growth of Surfing and the ISA’s commitment to developing the sport in non-traditional Surfing nations.
Many ISA Scholarship recipients have been selected to represent their National Surfing Teams in World Championships, with 17 past winners representing their countries at the 2016 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in the Azores. Some recipients have gone on to rank among the elite athletes of the sport including Carlos Muñoz (CRI), who won in 2008 and 2009, and Chelsea Tuach(BAR), who won in 2008.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said:
“The ISA Scholarship Program exemplifies our commitment to the development of youth Surfing around the world. Since the program’s launch a decade ago, we can see the positive effect that the program has had on the lives of our scholarship ambassadors around the world. We have watched them grow to become excellent surfers and more importantly great human beings.
“As part of our strategy for global expansion, it’s important to support the youth to ensure a bright future for the sport. This ISA Scholarship Program has played a key role in promoting the sport in non-traditional Surfing nations such as Ghana, India and Haiti, where Surfing is growing in popularity.
“As we rapidly approach Surfing’s Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, we very well could see one of our Scholarship winners rise to the world’s greatest sporting stage and compete among the first wave of Olympic surfers.”
The 2017 ISA Scholarship application period ends on April 30, with the winners being announced by August 1.
Click here to apply for the 2017 ISA Scholarship Program: https://www.isasurf.org/2017_scholarship_application/
View a full list of all ISA Scholarship ambassadors here: https://www.isasurf.org/development-programs/isa-scholarship/scholarship-ambassador-archives/
About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men’s and Women’s World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012.
ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 100 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. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Karín Sierralta (PER), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL).
