At a meeting on February 28th, the ESF Executive Committee decided to impose strict sporting exclusions on athletes and officials from Russia.

These measures are the result of the ESF’s strong condemnation of the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine and the terrible and unprovoked military assault on the Ukrainian people.

In line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) and International Surfing Federation (ISA) recommendations, the ESF’s sanctions mean no athletes and officials from Russia will be invited to participate or attend ESF events until further notice.

The global surfing community is shocked and appalled by the awful act of aggression by Russia and Belarus’ role to facilitate their invasion of Ukraine. We are unequivocal in our views on this crisis and we stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This is a human tragedy that requires us all to take a strong stance and send a message that such violence will not be tolerated nor forgotten.

We hope peace is restored as quickly as possible.

Jean Luc Arassus
Acting President