Kanoa Igarashi has officially punched his ticket to Los Angeles 2028 — and in doing so, became the first surfer to qualify for the next Olympic Games.
The 28-year-old Japanese superstar earned his spot by winning gold at surfing’s inaugural appearance in the Asian Games at Tahara’s Pacific Long Beach in Aichi, Japan. Igarashi also became the first surfer to qualify for all three Olympic surfing appearances, adding LA28 to Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Mirai Ikeda won the women’s event and also secured an Olympic berth.
Igarashi’s road to gold wasn’t completely smooth. After losing to teammate Connor O’Leary in the non-elimination opening round, he narrowly beat O’Leary in Round 3, posting an 8.67. Then he went ballistic in the semifinals, dropping an 18.33 heat total that included the event’s only perfect 10.
In the final, Igarashi jumped ahead early and stayed there, defeating Indonesia’s I Made Pajar Ariyana, who took silver. Jayuard Alciso of the Philippines earned bronze.
Japan doubled down on the historic day, too. Eighteen-year-old Mirai Ikeda won the women’s gold medal and also qualified for LA28, marking her first successful Olympic qualification attempt. Ikeda posted the highest heat total of the entire event — an 18.53 featuring two nine-point rides — before defeating China’s Siqi Yang in the final. “It’s the best moment of my life,” Ikeda said. “But I want to get the Olympic Games gold medal.”
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“I’m honestly still a bit speechless,” Igarashi said. “This is such a special day, such a special week, such a special moment for my career.”
For Igarashi, LA28 carries extra weight. He was born and raised in Southern California, and Olympic surfing will be held at Lower Trestles, a wave he knows intimately. He just finished runner-up there on the Championship Tour for the second straight season.
“Out of all the Olympics, this is the one I want to be a part of the most,” he said. “I know the wave at Trestles so well… it’s a wave I grew up surfing.”
ISA President Fernando Aguerre called the result “a historic day for surfing and for the Olympic movement,” adding that “the road to Los Angeles has officially begun.”
For one of surfing’s biggest international stars, that road now runs straight through home waters. And it’s a chance for him to get another medal, since he snagged silver at surfing’s Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Maybe back on his home turf, he’ll have another shot.
Kanoa’s already on it.
Related: Kanoa Igarashi Talks 2026 Championship Tour: ‘I’m Ready for a World Title’
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