Surfing is California含羞草研究社檚 official state sport and Canadian para surfer Victoria Feige wants Los Angeles to live up to that pledge in 2028.

The five-time women含羞草研究社檚 world champion from Vancouver is at the forefront of a lobby to get L.A. to introduce para surfing to the Paralympic Games.

L.A.含羞草研究社檚 organizing committee stated in June it would not propose para surfing for inclusion as a new sport in 2028. 含羞草研究社淐ost and complexity含羞草研究社� of the Summer Games was the stated rationale for para surfing含羞草研究社檚 omission.

That dumbfounded Feige. California has hosted every world para surfing championship since the first in 2015.

含羞草研究社淚 was devastated,含羞草研究社� Feige said. 含羞草研究社淚 have been hearing about the movement toward the Paralympics for para surfing since 2018.

含羞草研究社淚 won my first world title and I was urine-tested right after according to WADA anti-doping regulations. It felt important, progressive and we had this momentum.含羞草研究社�

There are nine para surf classifications encompassing missing limbs, prosthetics, paralysis and visual impairment.

Feige, 39, competes in the women含羞草研究社檚 kneeling classification. She mistimed a jump while snowboarding in Colorado at age 18. She fractured vertebrae in her spine and was paralyzed below the waist.

含羞草研究社淚 have been so lucky and grateful to be able to surf again and find a community and compete for my country and reach the highest levels and push my sport forward in ways I never considered,含羞草研究社� Feige said.

含羞草研究社淲hile I am in still sort of the prime of my life, I would like to help my sport reach this global stage and I would love to compete for Canada and win the gold for Canada.含羞草研究社�

The International Surfing Association has turned its attention to Brisbane in 2032, but Feige isn含羞草研究社檛 giving up on 2028.

A 含羞草研究社淪ave Paralympic Surfing L.A. 2028含羞草研究社� petition started by para surfer Jack Bogle has almost 27,000 signatures.

Feige has appeared in videos with surfing star Kelly Slater and musician Jack Johnson, who have endorsed para surfing for Paralympic inclusion.

She含羞草研究社檚 planning a California outdoor wave pool event following November含羞草研究社檚 world championship 含羞草研究社渁s a proof of concept to show that para surfing can be held in L.A. in 2028,含羞草研究社� Feige said.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like a football field and a big hydraulic press that creates a surfable wave on demand,含羞草研究社� Feige explained. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 standardized and they含羞草研究社檝e had surfing pro level competitions there before. I含羞草研究社檓 wondering if it含羞草研究社檚 an option to make it more cost-effective and logistically easy to incorporate it into the Games.含羞草研究社�

The first world championship in 2015 had 69 competitors from 18 countries.

Each country can enter up to two surfers per classification. The 2023 world championship in Huntington Beach, Calif., had 180 athletes from 27 countries. The number of competitive para surfers internationally is estimated at just under 500, according to Bogle含羞草研究社檚 petition.

Canada has roughly 25 para surfers classified in seven of the nine divisions, said Surf Canada director Pascale Martineau, who co-founded the organization含羞草研究社檚 adaptive surfing committee and has been the team含羞草研究社檚 manager at world championships.

含羞草研究社淲orldwide, I feel we did so much work. We have an amazing team working on classification with the ISA,含羞草研究社� Martineau said.

含羞草研究社淲hen the news came that the L.A. 2028 organizing committee did not go through with para surfing for the Paralympics because of cost and complexity, it was a big shock. All adaptive sports come with cost and complexity.含羞草研究社�

Canadian wheelchair rugby co-captain Trevor Hirschfield, who competed in his fifth Paralympic Games in Paris, gave para surfing a try in 2020 because he wanted an outdoor sport to pursue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A year later, he was on a board at the world championship in Pismo Beach, Calif., in the prone 2 division, in which athletes require assistance to catch a wave and get on a board safely.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been to Paralympics and world championships before and I thought the world para surf championships were amazing,含羞草研究社� Hirschfield said. 含羞草研究社淚t was very professional and world-class and I was kind of blown away by it.

含羞草研究社淐alifornia, L.A. hosting the Games and not picking up para surfing is a big miss on their part.含羞草研究社�

Aquatic beach chairs can help surfers with mobility issues get into the water.

含羞草研究社淚 just crawl,含羞草研究社� Feige said. 含羞草研究社淚 push my board beside me. It looks a bit crazy, but it means I can go surfing independently.

含羞草研究社淥nce I含羞草研究社檓 in the water, I含羞草研究社檓 such a good swimmer and paddler, and I taught myself how to duck dive, I含羞草研究社檓 just as good as anybody else in the water who is able-bodied.含羞草研究社�

Feige acknowledged the clock is ticking on her Paralympic dreams, but she wants people with disabilities to see that surfing is possible.

含羞草研究社淚 really care about bringing more people into the sport, not just for the Paralympics, but it gives so much to be able to access the environment and feel alive,含羞草研究社� she explained.

含羞草研究社淥ne of the things I really like about para surfing is there含羞草研究社檚 no tokenism in the ocean. There含羞草研究社檚 no special treatment. If you catch a good wave and you surf it well, you did that. It含羞草研究社檚 very liberating and empowering that way.含羞草研究社�

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