Team USA Young Guns Perform at ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador

El Salvador (June 6, 2021) -- After Team USA Olympic surfers Carissa Moore and Caroline Marks won their opening heats with some of the biggest scores of the 2021 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games, it was time for America’s young surf talents to shine and gain some valuable experience. 
 
Carlsbad 18-year old Alyssa Spencer surfed with poise and precision all the way to finals day, where she placed above and among Olympic qualifiers from other countries - 7th place over all. She fell out of competition in repechage round 9, coming in third after first place Sally Fitzgibbons and second place Pauline Ado. 
 
The 2021 edition of the World Surfing Games was the final qualifying event for the remaining twelve surfers who will compete in a field of 40 surfers in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
 
With Team USA’s Olympic team already qualified, coach Brett Simpson used the opportunity to test and grow America’s top young talent: 18-year old Alyssa Spencer, 17-year old Ryan Huckabee, 18-year old Dimitri Poulos and 18-year old Taj Lindblad.
 
Flagler Beach, Florida’s Ryan Huckabee finished equal 21st beating some of his World Surf League Championship Tour heroes – Julian Wilson, Jeremy Flores, and Frederico Morais. 
 
2019 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship U18 gold medalist Dimitri Poulos and 2021 Rip Curl Grom Search national champion Taj Lindblad surfed beyond their years and put in solid performances. 
 
Coach Brett Simpson said America’s next generation of surf talent had a ton of fun in El Salvador’s high-performance conditions and learned a lot competing against 250 of the world’s best surfers. 
 
USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse said the event was a prime opportunity to tap America’s top junior talent to witness Olympic history in the making and grow as competitors. 
 
All four Team USA Olympic team members – Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks, Kolohe Andino and John John Florence – qualified for the Olympics in 2019, but were required to compete in the World Surfing Games in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games. Caroline Marks and Carissa Moore went back home after surfing in their opening heat to avoid knocking out surfers striving to qualify for the remaining Olympic positions and spend time with their families before leaving for the Olympic Games. John John Florence and Kolohe Andino received injury exemptions. 
 
See Team USA’s World Surfing Games team bios below: 
Carissa Moore 
Four-time World Champion and current world No. 1 Olympic surfer from Honolulu, Moore surfs with remarkable power and finesse. She is known for her work to help young girls develop confidence and pursue their dreams. Moore started racking up wins at National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) junior surf competitions and top spots at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, where she helped Hawaii win a team victory. In all, she clinched a record 11 NSSA amateur titles, and at age 16 became the youngest champion at a Triple Crown of Surfing event. At age 18, she became the youngest person – male or female – to win a surfing world title and was the first woman to compete in the Triple Crown of Surfing, Hawaii’s most prestigious contest series featuring the world’s best male surfers. Carissa took four years of Japanese in high school and is looking forward to sharpening her use of the language during the Olympic Games in Tokyo next month. 
 
Caroline Marks 
Marks made history as the youngest surfer (man or woman) to qualify for the World Surf League Championship Tour at just 15 years old and had a performance so strong she was named WSL Rookie of the Year. She grew up in Melbourne Beach, Fla., where she learned to surf with her brothers when she was 8 years old. Before going on the WSL CT, she racked up multiple USA Surfing championship wins, including winning the gold medal in the 2016 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships Girls Under 16 division.
 
Alyssa Spencer
18-year old Spencer of Carlsbad, Calif. was ranked 10 in the QS in 2019 in prime position to qualify for the World Surf League’s Championship Tour. She surfed the WSL Surf Ranch event as a wild card and is excited to take on the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador. 
 
“Having the opportunity to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games representing the USA is an honor, especially this year with this event leading up to the Olympics. Everyone at this level is surfing so good and everyone wants those spots in the Olympics, so it’s going to be such a fun and exciting event!”
 
Dimitri Poulos
Ventura, California’s Poulos won ISA World Junior Surfing Championship gold in the U18 division, helping Team USA win team gold in 2019. Surfline said Poulos “can put it on rail with authority. And also has the air game to propel him into the next generation.”
 
“I believe that surfing being involved in the Olympics this year is going to bring the sport of surfing to a new level, and being and able to be involved and to represent my home country is a huge honor. I am excited to see what the future has in store!”
 
Taj Lindblad
18-year old Lindblad of San Clemente, Calif. was also on Team USA’s gold-medal-winning ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2019 team. You will see him showcasing his fluid, deep rail gouges and lofty air game. 
 
“I’m so stoked to be surfing in the ISA World Surfing Games. I don’t get this opportunity every day to surf against the best guys in the world so, I’m extremely excited to compete against them!”
 
Ryan Huckabee
Florida 17-year-old Huckabee was on Team USA’s gold-medal-winning ISA World Junior Surfing Championship team – launching and landing impressive airs and scores. He is stoked to join fellow East Coaster and Olympic surfer Caroline Marks in representing the U.S. in El Salvador. 
 
“It’s an amazing opportunity to surf for Team USA at the ISA World Surfing Games! With the Olympics coming up, it is going to be an incredible experience to surf against some of the Olympians from other countries. I hope to one day be surfing in this event as an Olympian for Team USA.”
 
See the results, video and pictures from the event on ISA’s website - isasurf.org.
Carissa Moore 
Four-time World Champion and current world No. 1 Olympic surfer from Honolulu, Moore surfs with remarkable power and finesse. She is known for her work to help young girls develop confidence and pursue their dreams. Moore started racking up wins at National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) junior surf competitions and top spots at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships, where she helped Hawaii win a team victory. In all, she clinched a record 11 NSSA amateur titles, and at age 16 became the youngest champion at a Triple Crown of Surfing event. At age 18, she became the youngest person – male or female – to win a surfing world title and was the first woman to compete in the Triple Crown of Surfing, Hawaii’s most prestigious contest series featuring the world’s best male surfers. Carissa took four years of Japanese in high school and is looking forward to sharpening her use of the language during the Olympic Games in Tokyo next month. 
 
Caroline Marks 
Marks made history as the youngest surfer (man or woman) to qualify for the World Surf League Championship Tour at just 15 years old and had a performance so strong she was named WSL Rookie of the Year. She grew up in Melbourne Beach, Fla., where she learned to surf with her brothers when she was 8 years old. Before going on the WSL CT, she racked up multiple USA Surfing championship wins, including winning the gold medal in the 2016 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships Girls Under 16 division.
 
Alyssa Spencer
18-year old Spencer of Carlsbad, Calif. was ranked 10 in the QS in 2019 in prime position to qualify for the World Surf League’s Championship Tour. She surfed the WSL Surf Ranch event as a wild card and is excited to take on the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador. 
 
“Having the opportunity to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games representing the USA is an honor, especially this year with this event leading up to the Olympics. Everyone at this level is surfing so good and everyone wants those spots in the Olympics, so it’s going to be such a fun and exciting event!”
 
Dimitri Poulos
Ventura, California’s Poulos won ISA World Junior Surfing Championship gold in the U18 division, helping Team USA win team gold in 2019. Surfline said Poulos “can put it on rail with authority. And also has the air game to propel him into the next generation.”
 
“I believe that surfing being involved in the Olympics this year is going to bring the sport of surfing to a new level, and being and able to be involved and to represent my home country is a huge honor. I am excited to see what the future has in store!”
 
Taj Lindblad
18-year old Lindblad of San Clemente, Calif. was also on Team USA’s gold-medal-winning ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2019 team. You will see him showcasing his fluid, deep rail gouges and lofty air game. 
 
“I’m so stoked to be surfing in the ISA World Surfing Games. I don’t get this opportunity every day to surf against the best guys in the world so, I’m extremely excited to compete against them!”
 
Ryan Huckabee
Florida 17-year-old Huckabee was on Team USA’s gold-medal-winning ISA World Junior Surfing Championship team – launching and landing impressive airs and scores. He is stoked to join fellow East Coaster and Olympic surfer Caroline Marks in representing the U.S. in El Salvador. 
 
“It’s an amazing opportunity to surf for Team USA at the ISA World Surfing Games! With the Olympics coming up, it is going to be an incredible experience to surf against some of the Olympians from other countries. I hope to one day be surfing in this event as an Olympian for Team USA.”
 
See the results, video and pictures from the event on ISA’s website - isasurf.org.