What does the abbreviation ISA stand for in international surfing competition?

ISA stands for International Surfing Association in international surfing competition.

The International Surfing Association is the world governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee for surfing and related disciplines. It organizes world championship events and manages international competition across shortboard, longboard, para surfing, and other formats.

The organization traces its history to 1964, when it was established as the International Surfing Federation. It later adopted the name International Surfing Association, commonly shortened to ISA.

The ISA and the World Surf League have different roles. The WSL runs the elite professional Championship Tour, while the ISA represents national federations and oversees world championship competitions. The distinction matters because a surfer can compete on the WSL circuit and also represent a country in ISA events such as the World Surfing Games.