ISA World Para Surfing Championship rolls back into Surf City

Alana Nichols suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury on a ski trip in Colorado in 2000, paralyzing her from the waist down.

Nearly 25 years later, Nichols has certainly not let that injury stop her from experiencing the thrill of competition.

She’s a five-time Paralympian and three-time gold medalist, competing in wheelchair basketball and alpine skiing.

Now 41, the New Mexico native has settled in as an adaptive surfer in a big way. Last year, she scored the first-ever perfect “10” ride in ISA para surfing history at the World Championships in Huntington Beach — a wave that was also her first barrel in the ocean.

“Honestly, it was absolutely magic,” she said in an email interview. “It just happened to be my grandma’s birthday and the first heat for the women’s wave ski category that I surf in. We went out at 8 a.m. and the surf was perfect … and when that wave came to me, I didn’t hesitate. And I dropped in and when I thought it was gonna close out, I just kind of ducked down under the barrel and the entire international world of adaptive surfing was on the beach cheering me on!”

Adaptive surfer Felipe Kizu Lima of Brazil on a wave at last year’s ISA World Para Surfing Championship.

(Courtesy of ISA / Jersson Barboza)

Nichols returns to Surf City next week to defend her Women’s Sit division title at the 2024 International Surfing Assn. World Para Surfing Championship, which kicks off with an opening ceremony Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Pier Plaza. Competition starts Monday on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

The event runs all week, up to the finals day and a closing ceremony on Nov. 9.

There will 151 athletes competing, representing 25 national teams. Team France, the current world champion, seeks to defend its title.

Nichols will be one of a few multiple gold medalists in the water, along with Davi Teixeira of Brazil, San Diego resident Sarah Bettencourt, Mark “Mono” Stewart and Matt Formston of Australia and Marta Paço of Portugal.

Each athlete is grouped into one of nine classifications depending on his or her physical conditions, including three levels of stand, two of prone and vision impairment, as well as kneel and sit.

The opening ceremony of last year’s ISA World Para Surfing Championship in Huntington beach.

(Courtesy of ISA / Jersson Barboza)

This will be the second year the competition is held in Surf City, which will be hosting its ninth major ISA event overall. The event is presented by Visit Huntington Beach.

“I feel really excited to come back to Huntington this year, especially knowing how great last year’s experience was for the whole of the Adaptive community,” Nichols said. “Huntington Beach is a great venue for us for a lot of reasons, it’s accessible and provides a great wave given the swell but almost equally as important is how warmly we were welcomed by the greater community of Huntington Beach. I also feel a little bit nervous to come back after my great showing last year, wondering if it can get any better?”

Nichols added that the adaptive surfing movement is growing exponentially right now. The ISA is pushing for para surfing to be included in the Paralympic Games, though the sport was not approved for the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.

“The more eyes we can get on our sport equals more coverage and support for our sport, which then leads to more support for athletes to do what they love the most,” Nichols said.

She encourages spectators to come down to the beach and watch, though a live webcast will also be streamed at isasurf.org.

Nagisa Ikegami of Japan celebrates a win at last year’s ISA World Para Surfing Championship.

(Courtesy of ISA / Sean Evans)