A total of 24 countries will compete in the ISA World Surfing Games 2016, to be held in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica from August 6 to 14.
ISA World Surfing Games 2016
Costa Rica, current reigning surf champion from 2015, will be the host for this years ISA (International Surfing Association) World Surfing Games. Twenty four countries, including current champion will face each other during eight days at Jaco Beach.
ISA World Surfing Games is an Olympic style team competition. Each team can field up to four men and two women. The surfers compete for individual medals and the Fernando Aguirre World Team Trophy.
The tournament will be held on the beach in front of the Best Western, in downtown Jaco. Current 2015 champions Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC) and Tia Blanco (USA), will compete in the 2016 tournament.
Canada Team will be represented by Sean Foerster, Logan Landry, Lance Blades and Danny Bishko in the Open Men bracket. Leah Oke and Christine Vopel will compete in the Open Women bracket.
We will bw covering the event, and giving you updates as the days go by.
Schedule
August 3 to 5 – Team Registration
August 6
9:00 a.m. ISA Press Conference
10:00 am: National Teams Parade and Arenas ceremony (opening ceremony)
August 7
First day of competition 7:00 am a 5:00 pm
August 8-12
All day competition 7:00 am a 5:00 pm
August 13
Seventh day of competition and Aloha Cup 7:00 am a 5:00 pm
Concert 7:00 p.m. 10:00 pm with Puerto Rican band Cultura Profetica. Costa Rica reggae band Ojo de Buey will open. Ticket prices are VIP: 30 thousand colones ($60), Floor 24 thousand colones ($47) Bleachers: 15 thousand colones ($27)
August 14
Eight and last day of competition 7:00 am a 5:00 pm
Participating countries:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Barbados
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- France
- Guatemala
- Italy
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Panama
- Peru
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Russia
- Scotland
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Team sheets are available at ISA’s official site for the Tournament.
Video Promo ISA WSG 2016 Costa Rica
An interesting fact
On August 3 in Rio the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a final vote on whether to include Surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Games. This could potentially make the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games the first major, international surfing competition to take place with Surfing as an Olympic sport.
Previous ISA Champions
Team Gold Medalists
2015 – Costa Rica
2014 – Peru
2013 – South Africa
Open Men Gold Medalists
2015 – Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC)
2014 – Leandro Usuna (ARG)
2013 – Shaun Jobert (RSA)
Open Women Gold Medalists
2015 – Tia Blanco (USA)
2014 – Analí Gomez (PER)
2013 – Dimity Stoyle (AUS)
History
The ISA World Surfing Games began in 1964 under the name ISF World Championships, and was run by the International Surfing Federation, the first international surfing organization. In 1976, the ISF became the ISA.