The Para-surfing Championship, due to take place in La Jolla, California, from September 25 to 27, is one of eight international competitions which make up the World Championship Series schedule for 2015.

Partnering with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the inaugural edition of the event will showcase the world's best adaptive surfers with the aim of developing the sport and helping towards its future inclusion in the Paralympic Games. 

"Surfing is celebrated for its values of inclusivity," said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

"It is a sport that has no regard for wealth, status, race, creed, gender or age - we surf for our innate love of the sport.

"To that end I am thrilled that the ISA will host its first ever World Adaptive Surfing Championship in 2015.

"Our aim is to continue to promote and develop surfing around the world - sharing the wonderful spirit of the sport."

Aguerre was re-elected unopposed as ISA President at the ISA 50th Anniversary World Surfing Games in Punta Roca, Peru in October.

Last month, he told insidethegames that man-made wave technology is the "single most important game-changer" for surfing to gain Olympic status.

The Argentinian expects the technology, which will make it possible to produce performance-standard waves anywhere and therefore allow surfing competitions to be held on inland lakes, to offer a chance to move the sport forward.

China's Riyue Bay is due to host the Hainan Wanning International Surfing Festival in November ©ISA/Billy Watts




Another event on the 2015 calendar, the VISSLA World Junior Surfing Championship, is also scheduled to be held in California from October 11 to 18, as the Series returns to the United States for the first time since 2006, while Europe is set to host its first ISA event since 2011 - the World Masters Surfing Championship in San Juan, Lanzarote, from November 1 to 8.

China is included within the calendar for the fourth consecutive year with the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival due to take place from November 22 and 28.

The World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship is scheduled to be held in Sayulita, Mexico from May 10 to 17, while Nicaragua and Iquique, Chile, are set to host the World Surfing Games from May 31 to June 7 and the World Bodyboard Championship from December 6 to 13 respectively.

The date and location of the World Longboard Surfing Championship has yet to be announced.

"Surfing is a sport that has incredible youth appeal and our mission is to spread its unique, youthful values around the world," added Aguerre.

"The ISA now has 91 member federations and there are 35 million surfers globally who participate in more than 100 countries.

"The booming popularity of surfing in recent years shows the universality of the sport and we're delighted that the 2015 ISA World Championship Series will span four regions - with a great mix of traditional surfing nations and emerging new markets."

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