The US won the team trophy at the home Para Surfing World Championships in Pismo Beach ©ISA/Jersson Barboza

This year's Para Surfing World Championships in Pismo Beach demonstrated the sport "belongs in the Paralympics" - at least in the eyes of International Surfing Association (ISA) President Fernando Aguerre.

The ISA and AmpSurf held the event in California, where it is hoped the sport will make a Paralympic debut in 2028.

The United States won the team title for the third time - a record, with this the seventh edition of the World Championships - while 13 individual champions were also crowned.

Two of those were American - Liv Stone in the women's standing 1 and Sarah Bettencourt in women's prone 1.

Hawaii is its own team at this event, so Casey Proud's men's prone 1 victory did not count towards the US total.

"What an amazing week, what an amazing event," was Aguerre's verdict.

"Seeing new generations of athletes fills my heart with happiness. 

"Now let’s wait for the news. 

"More than ever I believe Para surfing belongs in the Paralympics."

There were also gold medals for Brazil, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Wales, Canada and Portugal in Pismo Beach.

Thirteen-year-old Aleli Medina won the women's visual impairment 2 title for Puerto Rico's first-ever medal at this event.

There are a record 33 applications in place for sports to feature at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

Ten International Federations have applied to join the Paralympic programme, including the ISA, plus World ParaVolley wants beach ParaVolley to accompany sitting volleyball there.

Surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and is on both the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 programmes.