Samoa joins Iran, Sierra Leone, Cook Islands, and Norway as the newest countries to join the International Federation.

Formalised in 2012, the SSA is recognised as the country’s National Federation for surfing by the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Comittee.

The association’s aim is to promote and advance surfing in the country, with a special emphasis on their junior surfer development programme.

The SSA plans to field a team to participate in their first-ever ISA World Championship and send three surfers to compete in the 2017 World Junior Surfing Championship, due to take place in Hyuga in Japan from September 23 to October 1.

Three Samoan surf instructors also recently took part in the ISA’s first Olympic Solidarity supported course in Fiji.

The course included twelve surf coaches from Samoa, Fiji, and Vanuatu setting a new standard for surf instruction and coaching in the region.

The SSA hopes to build on the success of the course and utilise their ISA membership to hold an Olympic Solidarity supported course of their own in 2018.

“We are very excited to welcome Samoa to the ISA family and work together to use the sport of surfing to make the world a better place," said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

“The international growth of surfing that we have witnessed in recent years, especially since surfing’s Olympic inclusion, has been incredible.

"Surfing is spreading to all regions of the globe to areas that had traditionally been overlooked, such as Asia, Africa and Oceania, enriching the lives of millions with the joy and energy that is so unique to our sport.

“We look forward to helping the SSA access the benefits of being an ISA member, such as scholarship awards for junior surfers, Olympic Solidarity support for athletes and coaches, participation in ISA World Championships across all disciplines, and the ability to enter the qualification process to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”