Mark your calendars for the long awaited 2020 World Adaptive Surfing Championship! This marks the 5th event since its start in 2015, and the transition to the new title of “Para Surfing.” This new title comes as the World Championship debuts the Para Surfing Classification system which has been in development. Surfing was added to the 2020 Olympic Games, and the ISA (International Surfing Association) is pushing for Para Surfing to be added to the 2023 Pan American Games. If this momentum is successful, surfing may be added to the Paralympic Games in the coming years.

This momentum is great news for the next generation. The growth of the sport is inspiring today’s youth to become tomorrow’s Paralympic surfers. At the World Para Surfing Championship, highly competitive adaptive surfers from more than 23 nations come together to go for gold. At the 2018 Championship, there were 120 athletes! Thanks to the classification system, surfers of similar abilities and surf styles compete against each other. Athletes can win in their specific division and add points to their home country’s overall team score.

Another great tidbit about this year’s event is that AmpSurf is the title sponsor for the first time ever. AmpSurf is a nonprofit that promotes, inspires, educates and rehabilitates people with disabilities and their families through adaptive surfing. Founded over 15 years ago, AmpSurf has proven itself an expert in surf therapy and the perfect title partner.

If you’re looking to catch the action, don’t miss the Parade of Nations on the La Jolla Shores boardwalk. This event occurs on the first day of the event. Next, check out the surfing heats from morning until afternoon Thursday-Saturday, with finals changed to Saturday in response to current events. To catch the action LIVE, click this link to see the live stream from La Jolla Shores with commentary.