Six Indonesian Surfers Chase LA 2028 Olympic Qualification Tickets Through the Championship Held in Peru

Indonesia is preparing six surfers to compete at the ISA World Surfing Games 2026 which will be held in Punta Rocas, Peru from 6–15 November 2026. This world championship serves as one of the critical qualification pathways for Indonesia to secure quota spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Executive Board of the Indonesian Surfing Federation (PB PSOI) will field three male athletes and three female athletes at this tournament organized by the International Surfing Association (ISA).

PB PSOI Secretary General Tipi Jabrik confirmed that Rio Waida, I Made Pajar Ariyana, and Dhany Widianto will represent the men's division. Meanwhile, the women's squad will be led by Jasmine Studer, Kya Jo Heuer, and Hana Suri Jabrik.

"Next month we will travel to Peru for this Olympic qualifying event. We are sending all six athletes over there," stated Tipi in Jakarta on Monday, 19 October 2026.

The competition in Peru represents a crucial milestone for Indonesia to boost their chances of qualifying for LA 2028.

Under the qualification system set by the ISA, countries whose men's and women's teams finish top ranked at the ISA World Surfing Games 2026 will each be awarded one Olympic quota place for their nation.

This quota is allocated to the national Olympic committee, not automatically granted to the highest placing individual athlete. The qualification framework also provides alternate pathways via the World Surf League Championship Tour and continental qualifying competitions.

As such, performances at the Peru event form part of Indonesia's long campaign to qualify national surfers for the Olympic stage.

Pajar and Rio Named As Indonesia's Lead Hopefuls

Indonesia enters the Peru championship with positive momentum, following I Made Pajar Ariyana's performance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Pajar claimed the silver medal in the men's shortboard event, posting a total score of 10.40 points in the final round. He was edged out for gold by Japan's Kanoa Igarashi, who finished with a score of 12.87 points.

This Asian Games result also carries implications for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification race.

Igarashi's victory secured Japan an Olympic quota spot through the continental qualification route. Indonesia meanwhile will continue to pursue qualification through available alternate pathways, including the 2026 ISA World Surfing Games in Peru.

Alongside Pajar, Rio Waida stands as another core hope for the Indonesian squad. Waida already has Olympic experience having competed at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. This prior experience is expected to be a valuable asset for Rio and his teammates when competing at the world championship.

While Rio is yet to win an Olympic medal across his two previous appearances, the LA 2028 qualification campaign presents Indonesia with an opportunity to once again send representatives to the world's largest sporting stage and improve upon past results.

Sustaining Athlete Development and Competitive Standards

Beyond chasing Olympic qualification, PB PSOI is also focused on maintaining consistent participation for Indonesian Athletes across all levels of international competition, from the SEA Games through to the Asian Games and Olympic Games.

Indonesia holds a strong track record in competitive surfing. At the 2019 SEA Games held in the Philippines, Oney Anwar won gold in the men's shortboard while Dhea Novitasari took the women's longboard title. Indonesia also secured a silver medal courtesy of Rio Waida, alongside multiple bronze medals at the same event.

For PB PSOI, consistent participation in international tournaments is critical to build competitive match experience, raise athlete performance standards, and strengthen Indonesia's standing within global surfing.

Tipi also stressed the federation's goal to see surfing remain a permanent fixture on the programme of major international multi-sport events.

"Going forward, we want surfing to be consistently included on the competition schedule for the SEA Games, the Asian Games, and the Olympic Games," Tipi stated, as quoted by Antara News Agency.

Up next, the championship in Peru will be the next major test for Indonesia. Alongside chasing the best possible results, the six Red and White surfers will carry the nation's hopes of keeping alive Indonesia's chance to return to the surfing competition at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.