Professional Surfers Will Face Comprehensive Drug Testing

"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine! What? No buzz? Aw, dude, SO not cool!"

An article out from the Gaurdian is reporting that the international body that governs professional surfing is about to change their policies. The Association of Surfing Professionals has decided on their 2012 policies for screening surfers competing in world surfing events. They have decided for the first time to introduce comprehensive drug testing for surfer to compete.

Surfing, as a sport, has grown out of a somewhat counter-culture movement, with the beach lifestyle and the endless search for a sandy beach with good waves as the seed that inspired some of today’s top athletes in the sport. But the death of a triple world champion in November of 2010 has had a chilling effect on the surfing community. Andy Irons died, not in the waves, but in a hotel room from a heart attack brought on by an acute mixed drug ingestion according to his autopsy. Traces of methadone, methamphetamine and some cocaine metabolites were all found in his blood.  Anthony Ruffo, a pioneer of the Santa Cruz surfing scene was caught with an ounce of methamphetamine last year and is facing a jail sentence.

Although, marijuana has always been part of the surfing scene in Hawaii, the Mecca for world class surfing, it seems like harder drugs with more enhancing properties such as steroids or amphetamines, are more likely found in surfing competitors that are already tested at European events and in Ireland.

Part of the outcry about the use of speed-related drugs in the industry, some say, is the continuing decline of surfing’s soul as it goes mainstream. A spokesperson for the Association of Surfing Professionals, Dave Prodan said that the move to drug test has the full support of the surfers on tour as they want to be taken more seriously as professional athletes.

The new policy was drafted with guidance from the World Anti Doping Agency, the budget for the testing was approved at the annual meeting in November, and for surfers on the world tour, they can expect full spectrum drug testing before all world rated events this year.

External Links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/01/surfers-drug-testing-sport?newsfeed=true