U.S. Ski & Snowboard Withdraws From Baffling Plan To Be Olympic Surfing Body

U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) announced that it has formally withdrawn its absolutely baffling application to become the National Governing Body (NGB) for Olympic surfing in the United States. The decision immediately ends a highly contentious, months-long battle for governance of the sport ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The winter sports federation, which oversees ten Olympic and Paralympic snow sports, stated the withdrawal allows the organization to redirect its focus back to preparation for the upcoming Winter Olympic cycle.

In a statement, USSS leadership expressed disappointment, pointing to what they called a "lack of cooperation" and "public attacks" from USA Surfing, the former NGB that had been fighting to regain its certified status from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

They said “U.S. Ski & Snowboard entered this process with enthusiasm and conviction in our ability to help elevate American surfing and we continue to believe strongly that our athlete-first model, track record of success across 10 Olympic & Paralympic sports and world-class infrastructure could provide the resources that U.S. surfers deserve.

"However, after thoughtful consideration, and despite the USOPC’s invitation to participate in its open process, meaningful interest from athletes and commercial partners, and considerable time and effort on behalf of our organization, we have decided not to move forward with the USOPC’s process at this time.

"Despite U.S. Ski & Snowboard reaching out multiple times over the past 18 months, USA Surfing—the National Governing Body that relinquished its certification in 2021 for failure to meet USOPC compliance standards—chose public attacks and uninformed legal threats instead of constructive dialogue and engagement. Considering those factors, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has concluded that our energy and expertise are best used in service to our athletes as they prepare for the upcoming Winter Games.

"We feel progress in sport requires partnership and trust. We remain open to opportunities in the future should the environment become more collaborative."

The USSS bid was highly controversial from the start. Critics, including many prominent voices within the surfing community, argued that an organization rooted in winter sports lacked the necessary expertise, cultural understanding, and infrastructure—such as dedicated surf coaches and local athlete pipelines—to govern a sport like surfing, particularly as it heads to the 2028 Games in San Clemente, CA.

USA Surfing, which was decertified in 2021 following USOPC audits over financial and governance issues, maintained that it had restructured its operations, appointed new leadership, and was the only organization recognized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) to steward the sport. The organization campaigned heavily against the USSS bid, coining the phrase "Ski-jack" and arguing that the move was primarily a commercial play to control lucrative Olympic rights.

With the withdrawal of USSS, USA Surfing is now the sole entity vying for the NGB certification. The USOPC has not yet issued a final decision on the status of USA Surfing.

USSS concluded its statement by leaving the door open for future collaboration, saying it would only reengage “should the environment become more collaborative.” The focus now shifts entirely to the USOPC and its pending decision on recertifying USA Surfing, which must be made before the LA28 games.