The International Surfing Association (ISA) has adapted to the challenging circumstances facing the world today, utilizing the latest virtual tools to offer online ISA Education Courses for surf instructors, judges, and enthusiasts around the globe.
At the outset of the pandemic, the ISA developed and circulated guidelines for course delivery. These guidelines allowed for ISA Coaching and Instructing Courses to be delivered with a blended approach of both virtual instruction and an extended timeframe for the practical requirements for certification, once restrictions are eased.
The first virtual ISA Surf Level 1 and ISA Flat Water SUP Courses were done by ISA Course Presenter Andy Joyce from Great Britain with positive results and feedback. To date, six successful Coaching and Instructing Courses for Surfing and StandUp Paddle have already been conducted virtually by four course presenters and an additional ten courses are scheduled in English and Spanish through the beginning of June 2020.
The first international online Judging and Officiating Course took place April 24-25 organized by ISA education partner Surf Education Academy and delivered by ISA Technical Director Erik Krammer. Krammer, who will also be the Technical Director for the 2020 Olympic Games, shared his wealth of knowledge to ensure that all participants had the ability to become a better competitor, an educated surf coach, a well-informed parent, or a future surf judge.
For the first time, the ISA opened access to the course by providing tiered pricing, with the option to get ISA certified, or simply attend the course to refresh, study, or gain knowledge about surf judging and competitive surfing.
60 participants from 13 nations joined the online course, with positive feedback and encouraging the ISA to continue molding and improving the course offering for an online environment.
The ISA is planning additional coaching and judging courses for the future in several languages including Spanish and Portuguese.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
"The health and safety of our surfing community is of the utmost priority and we are committed to implementing solutions that keep everyone safe.
"These are unprecedented times, so we are exploring creative and innovative solutions to keep our community active and engaged. These online courses have proven to be fun and productive in these early stages.
"During the global pandemic many people around the globe are not able to get in the water, or practice their surf coaching or judging, so these courses are a great opportunity to unite the global community. When it's deemed safe, the surfing competitions will be ready to get back underway, also benefiting from these online coaching and judging experiences."
ISA Technical Director and Officiating Course presenter Erik Krammer said:
"I have been presenting the ISA Judging and Officiating course now for over a decade, but this was the first time ever that we were able to put it all online and take it right into the homes and offices of the participants.
"It was rewarding because I was able to educate a larger audience around the world all at once. We were no longer restricted by location, availability, or schedule conflicts and we even created a more economical pricing structure offering different levels of participation.
"I can't wait to see what the future of this course holds as we continue to make improvements in its virtual presentation as well as creating new and exciting content and material and bringing in other international presenters to educate in other markets and other languages."
For more information on the ISA Coaching and Instructing Program, click here.
For more information on ISA Judging and Officiating courses, click here.
For questions or inquiries about ISA Courses, contact alexreynolds@isasurf.org.
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