2025 ISA World Para Surfing Championship Draws Elite Field from 24 Nations to Oceanside, California

The 2025 ISA World Para Surfing Championship is well underway at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, California. The event has drawn almost 140 athletes from 24 nations to compete in nine different categories all week at the world class venue. Opening day saw a combo swell of four to five feet for the Main Round 1 of Men’s Stand 1 and 2 divisions along with Women’s Stand 2. Monday was the first full day of heats with a swell that refused to disappoint the elite athletes from all over the world, many repeat champions from previous ISA World Para Surfing Championships. This is the first year for Oceanside, California to host the weeklong competition. The last major ISA event to be held at Oceanside was the ISA World Junior Championships in 2015.

Women’s Participation Continues to Grow

Women’s involvement continues to grow every year. The 2025 ISA World Para Surfing Championship features the most female competitors to date. The women make up one third of the total number of women competing this year, including former stars, defending champions and new athletes on the scene.

Victoria Feige, five-time World Champion in Women’s Kneel, has the most para surfing competitions wins for woman. She re-established herself on Day 2 at the top, with scores of 7.40 and 6.83 for a 14.23 two-wave total. Victoria has dedicated her life to surfing not only as a competitor but sharing her knowledge through Jamie O’Brien’s surf school in Hawaii.

“It was a little dicey, some of those late drops I did not make and it’s always fun having a little ride under the waves, but I finally pulled out a few decent turns and got a decent score together,” Feige said. “Everyone’s charging and there’s more girls in the Kneel division than ever and I love to see it. No one really understands that you can have a disability and you can still rip in the water like the competitors here. In every division you can see it.”

Women’s Stand 2 Division Stays Competitive

The first heat of women’s Stand 2 featured a back and forth battle between 2024 Gold Medalist Zoe Smith of England and 2023 champion Laurie Phipps of France. At the halfway point of the heat, both women shared equal scores but it was Smith who came out on top.

“The current is wild, but I’ve been training here all week and it’s been quite chill on that neat tide,” Smith said. “I caught one or two that were fun and I could sort of feel that pier vibe. I love a pier. Obviously I’d like to come back for the gold. Finals day is going to be hard work, it’s looking big. It’d be a bit out of my comfort zone, but let’s see how it goes. Bring it on.”

Men’s Kneel Division Kicks off with Huge Performances

 Llywelyn ‘Sponge’ Williams of Wales, a three-time defending champion was the first surfer to break into the excellent range on Day 2 with an 8.40. Not to go down easily, however, Costa Rica’s Dariel Melendez Davila and Dijackson Santos of Brazil both posted big scores. Dariel’s score earned the best of the division with a 17.50 heat total. Melendez brought his A game, carving through two open faces and hitting an end section to earn a 9.33 scoring wave. The Kneel division for both men and women continues to be one of the most competitive categories.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre weighs in

“This championship is our yearly pilgrimage where para surfers from around the world come together in peace through surfing. I want to thank the city of Oceanside for hosting us, and I want to thank all the delegations, national teams, athletes, friends, and family who are here. This really is the United Nations of para surfing.

“As you know, the ISA has been working since the very first WPSC 10 years ago to include para surfing in the Paralympic Games. This has not been an easy job, but when things get complicated, we paddle harder to catch that wave.”

You don’t want to miss this year’s 2025 ISA World Para Surfing Championships! Catch live action through the International Surfing Association’s website and follow on instagram daily for reels and photos.

Competition continues through Friday, November 7th and the swell promises to keep pumping for the field of elite athletes from around the world.

Source: International Surfing Association. Photos used with permission from ISA’s Media Gallery.