# Surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Qualification for surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics will be based on the performances at two editions of the ISA World Surfing Games, the World Surf League Championship Tour, and the Pan American Games. The 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty athletes per gender must qualify for the Games, with only a maximum of two each per NOC. Host nation Japan has been entitled to use a single quota place each in both men's and women's shortboard. If Japan directly qualifies in any of the tournaments, the host country place(s) shall be reallocated to the next highest ranked eligible athlete at the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games.

## Timeline

| Event | Date | Venue |
| 2019 Pan American Games | July 30 – August 4, 2019 | Lima |
| 2019 World Surf League | April 3 – December 20, 2019 | Various locations |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games | September 7–15, 2019 | Miyazaki |
| 2021 ISA World Surfing Games | May 29 – June 6, 2021 | El Sunzal & La Bocana |
| Re-allocation of unused quota places | TBD 2021 | |

## Qualification summary

Quota places will be allocated to the athletes in the following events:
* Host country: Japan is allocated 1 place in both men's and women's events. If at least one Japanese athlete has earned a qualification place through other events, the relevant host country place(s) shall be reallocated to the next highest ranked eligible athlete at the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games.
* 2019 World Surf League – the 10 highest ranked men and 8 highest ranked women will be awarded quota places.
* 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – the top finishers from each continent with the exception of the Americas will be awarded a quota place.
* 2019 Pan American Games – the top finisher in men's and women's events will be awarded a quota place.
* 2021 ISA World Surfing Games – the top 4 men and 7 women will be awarded quota places. If a NOC or National Olympic Committee qualifies more than the maximum number of athletes, the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games will prevail and any places earned from 2019 will be reawarded to the next highest finishing athlete(s). Each NOC is allowed to send a maximum of four athletes (two per gender) to the Olympic surfing competition.

### Qualified countries

| NOC | Men | Women | Total |
| Argentina | 1 | | 1 |
| Australia | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Brazil | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Chile | 1 | | 1 |
| Costa Rica | | 2 | 2 |
| Ecuador | | 1 | 1 |
| France | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Germany | 1 | | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 | | 1 |
| Israel | | 1 | 1 |
| Italy | 1 | | 1 |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Morocco | 1 | | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Peru | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Portugal | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| South Africa | | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total: 17 NOCs | 20 | 20 | 40 |

## Events
### Men's shortboard

| Event | Places | Qualified surfer |
| Host NOC | n/a | Qualified through other event |
| 2019 Pan American Games | 1 | Leandro Usuna (ARG) |
| 2019 World Surf League | 10 | Julian Wilson (AUS) Owen Wright (AUS) Ítalo Ferreira (BRA) Gabriel Medina (BRA) Michel Bourez (FRA) Jérémy Florès (FRA) Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) Kolohe Andino (USA) John John Florence (USA) |
| 2021 ISA World Surfing Games | 5 | Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) Leon Glatzer (GER) Lucca Mesinas (PER) Miguel Tudela (PER) Manuel Selman (CHI) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Africa | 1 | Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Asia | 1 | Rio Waida (INA) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Europe | 1 | Frederico Morais (POR) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Oceania | 1 | Billy Stairmand (NZL) |
| Total | 20 | |

### Women's shortboard

| Event | Places | Qualified surfer |
| Host NOC | n/a | Qualified through other event |
| 2019 Pan American Games | 1 | Mimi Barona (ECU) |
| 2019 World Surf League | 8 | Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) Silvana Lima (BRA) Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) Brisa Hennessy (CRC) Johanne Defay (FRA) Caroline Marks (USA) Carissa Moore (USA) |
| 2021 ISA World Surfing Games | 7 | Yolanda Sequeira (POR) Teresa Bonvalot (POR) Daniella Rosas (PER) Leilani McGonagle (CRC) Pauline Ado (FRA) Mahina Maeda (JPN) Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Africa | 1 | Bianca Buitendag (RSA) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Asia (reallocation) | 1 | Sofía Mulánovich (PER) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Europe | 1 | Anat Lelior (ISR) |
| 2019 ISA World Surfing Games – Oceania | 1 | Ella Williams (NZL) |
| Total | 20 | |