USA SURFING PUBLISHES FALL LA28 OLYMPIC SELECTION PATHWAY AS ROAD TO LOWER TRESTLES BEGINS IN PERU
USA Surfing Publishes Full LA28 Olympic Selection Pathway As Road To Lower Trestles Begins In Peru
Six-athlete U.S. team opens Olympic qualification campaign at ISA World Surfing Games, with the goal of earning additional quota spots and fielding a full team of three men and three women at LA28
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (November 6, 2026) — The road to Lower Trestles begins now. USA Surfing arrives in Peru with an all-star team as the 2026 ISA World Surfing Games open tonight, launching the first event in the Olympic qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
With the opportunity to earn an additional Olympic quota spot in both the men's and women's divisions, Team USA is working toward qualifying the maximum six athletes for LA28 — three men and three women. At Paris 2024, the United States fielded two men and three women. With Olympic surfing returning to Southern California at Lower Trestles in 2028, the effort to earn a full six-athlete team starts in Peru.
As the Olympic qualification journey gets underway, USA Surfing has published its official LA28 Athlete Selection Procedures, outlining the complete pathway through which up to six athletes will be nominated to represent the United States at the Games.
"The road to Lowers is officially underway, and we're excited to see this team take the first step in Peru," said Greg Hulsizer, CEO of USA Surfing. "Our goal is to earn the maximum number of Olympic quota places for the United States and ultimately bring a full team of three men and three women to our home break, Lower Trestles. Our team arriving in Peru is locked in and ready to put the USA in a strong position right from the start.”
The LA28 selection process provides multiple opportunities for U.S. surfers to qualify, combining individual athlete results with national team performance. Athletes will be nominated in the following order of priority:
2027–28 World Surf League Championship Tour: The highest-ranked eligible U.S. athlete during the Olympic qualification period can earn an individual Olympic quota spot.
2028 ISA World Surfing Games: The highest-ranked eligible U.S. athlete can earn an individual quota spot at the final ISA World Surfing Games before the Olympics.
2027 Pan American Games: The highest-ranked eligible U.S. athlete can earn an individual quota spot, provided the United States has not already filled its two individual qualification places in that gender.
2026 and 2027 ISA World Surfing Games: Team USA can earn additional Olympic quota places based on its overall national team performance. If earned, these spots are allocated to the United States, with individual athletes nominated through the published Team USA ranking system based on their results at the respective World Surfing Games.
The United States can qualify up to three men and three women for LA28. Individual quota places are earned by athletes by name, while additional national team quota places are earned by the United States and filled according to the published selection procedures. There is no discretionary selection process.
TEAM USA IN PERU
The six athletes representing the United States at the 2026 ISA World Surfing Games are:
Women
Gabriela Bryan
Carissa Moore
Sawyer Lindblad
Men
Griffin Colapinto
Cole Houshmand
Crosby Colapinto
The team will be coached by Ryan Simmons, Brett Simpson and Morgan O'Connell, working alongside USA Surfing Director of High Performance Tracy Axel.
The 2026 ISA World Surfing Games award one national Olympic quota place to the highest-ranking men's national team and one to the highest-ranking women's national team. These places are earned by the country, or National Olympic Committee, not an individual athlete. The U.S. team will compete together with the goal of securing both quota places and putting the United States in position to earn additional spots at the 2027 ISA World Surfing Games.
For the athletes, the opportunity carries added significance: four members of the original Peru roster have deep roots in the San Clemente area and Lower Trestles, the wave that will determine Olympic surfing in 2028. The ultimate goal is to earn the opportunity to represent the United States on home soil.
USA Surfing's complete LA28 Athlete Selection Procedures, including qualification priorities, athlete eligibility, ranking criteria and nomination requirements, are available at: www.usasurfing.org/selection-procedures
2026 ISA World Surfing Games November 6–15, 2026 | Punta Rocas, Peru
Competition begins November 7, with Team USA's WSL Championship Tour athletes scheduled to enter Round 3 on November 11 under the ISA's event format.
