There are moments when collective effort is essential for a revolution to occur. Surfing is on the cusp of such a revolution as the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have approved Para Surfing to be included in the Paralympics. So on July 6th, surfing’s biggest name Kelly Slater appeared on video to ask fans for support.

The issue was that despite the governing bodies approving Para Surfing’s inclusion, the ISA announced that the LA 2028 organizing committee would not propose the sport’s inclusion. So, Kelly Slater joined forces with five-time ISA World Champion Victoria Fiege to urge people to sign a petition. The efforts of Fiege and Slater are bearing fruit.

While the petition to include Para surfing opened on June 16th, Fiege struggled to drum up enough attention. So 11-time world champion and surfing legend Kelly Slater came to the rescue. “We need 10,000 signatures!” Slater said in the public announcement. The move worked as the petition reached the 10,000 mark within a week and reached 15,000 signatures today according to Victoria Fiege’s Instagram story.

“If you guys could support the para-surfing at the Olympics in Los Angeles, it would be great.” the 52-year-old requested. “We just need a few signatures to get you guys in the water,” added Slate. While the surfing community’s response has been overwhelming, the battle rages on. It’ll take more than 15,000 signatures to convince the LA Olympics organizing committee.

That’s why the para surfing world champion celebrated the 15,000 milestone and announced the next milestone. As the fight for inclusion inches forward, the next milestone for the petition stands at 25,000 signatures. Kelly Slater has continued to do his part to remind his social media followers about the noble cause by sharing Fiege’s Instagram stories. Yet, if you’re wondering ‘what’s the hurry?’ then here’s why including the sport would prove significant.

Why Kelly Slater and the community are raising their voice for para surfing

Athletes and the surfing community had to wait two decades to see their sport included in the Olympics. Despite rooting for their sport to feature on the grandest stage, legends like Kelly Slater spent their entire career never competing in the Olympics. However, since surfing made it to the Olympics for the first time in 2020, the surfing world doesn’t want to wait another 20 years.

The ISA has cited “cost complexity or difficulty in location,” as their reason for not including para surfing for LA 2028. Instead, they have committed to advocating para surfing’s inclusion in the 2032 Brisbane Paralympics. However, the surfing world isn’t willing to accept delays and half-promises, especially because the IOC has approved five additional sports for LA.

Baseball, Cricket, and Lacrosse will return in 2028, while Flag football and squash will make their debut. So, Kelly Slater and the entire surfing community hope to see para surfing get added to that list. Yet, only time will tell how many sign the petition and how it affects para surfing’s future in the Paralympics.