Atlantic Surfing Federation seeks membership to Surfing America
The new competitive surfing organisation on the East Coast, the Atlantic Surfing Federation (ASF), has applied to join US national governing body for surfing, Surfing America in order to achieve competitive continuity and help the East Coast surfers to progress
in the sport.
ASF has been established in order to provide the East Coast surfers of all ability levels with a modern and progressive surfing programme and offer them a track to the American Championships. In order to accomplish just this, the newly formed body is eager
to get under the umbrella of Surfing America.
Surfing America comprises of 64 countries, which include the Western Surfing Association, the National Scholastic Surfing Association and the Hawaiian Surfing Association. The top riders from these Associations get a licence to compete in the Surfing America
events. To further add to the exclusiveness of Surfing America, it is parented by the International Surfing Association, a body recognised as the primary authority over competitive surfing in the world by the International Olympic Committee.
According to the Executive Director of ASF, Julie Hume, the new surfing association wants seek to accomplish what other associations have accomplished since forming a relation with Surfing America.
The former co-director of the Eastern Surfing Association’s (ESA) New York region, Rick Anthony, is one of the minds behind the formation of the ASF. He finished his ties with the ESA last September and is now the President and Competition Director of the
ASF. He hopes that the new surfing association will play a substantial role in improvement of competition and exposure of surfing. “I would like to see the sport of surfing in the U.S. brought to the level that is in Australia,” he said while discussing his
intended motivation.
Both Hume and Anthony share similar desire to see contest surfing fall under reach of one organisation in order to make the sport more organised. Anthony said that other sports, such as gymnastics, track and field and swimming, all are overseen by a governing
body. The governing body sets the standards for all the participating athletes and includes all the competitors as its members.
Though the ESA is one of the main coordinator of surfing competitions along the Atlantic coast, it does not enjoy an existing relationship with Surfing America. In 2009, the board of directors of ESA voted for withdrawal from Surfing America following an
disagreement over the surfing contest’s execution.
The ASF hopes to fill the east coast void that was left in Surfing America since ESA’s withdrawal. “Competitive surfing needs to progress and in order to do so there needs to be consistency from the entry level to the elite level,” Anthony argues.
However, in order to get welcomed in Surfing America, ASF needs to fulfil certain requirements. Firstly, it needs to cement firm contest details and secondly, it requires Surfing America’s Approval. In order to gain that, ASF will need to attain a non-profit
status, arrange insurance, establish by-laws and a rulebook and follow Surfing America’s 18 current age divisions. Furthermore, it will need to establish an online registration system.
Even though ASF has not met either of the two conditions yet, Hume is confidence that they will have their first surfer in water even before August 1. Surfing America’s board meeting is scheduled to take place in June and they are expected put the ASF proposal
on the table to reach a final decision.
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