Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)
Sixteen elite athletes will travel to New Zealand in November to represent the United States at the 2025 International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC). The competition will consist of thirteen of the best Surf Lifesaving National Teams from around the world. The ISRC was last held in 2023, in South Padre, TX where the US team used its home field advantage to finish third overall. The 2025 team hopes to build on that momentum.
The women’s team will be led by a youthful group of veterans and rookie national team members. Montana George (Cal State), Sophia Gulotti (Sussex County), Holly Maine (LA County), April O’Gorman (Volusia County) and Sam Tadder (Virginia Beach) all competed in the 2023 ISRC and 2024 Lifesaving World Championships (LWC). George and Tadder are the top swimmers, Maine and O’Gorman are craft specialists, and Gulotti is an elite beach sprinter.
Joining the five veterans are first time national team selections Claire Kelly (Laguna Beach), Ashlyn Roselle (Sussex County), and Kali Wilding (Cal State). Claire Kelly brings swimming and board racing skills to the team. Roselle was the silver medalist in both the Beach Sprint and Beach Flag events at the 2025 National Championships. Wilding is an elite paddler sure to make an impact on the Surfski.
The men’s team will travel with only two competitors who competed last fall in Australia. Konner Knarr (Sussex County), the silver medalist at the World Championships in the Beach Sprint, will lead Team USA. And Roman Higgins (Cal State) returns after two top five finishes in the Board and Surfski races in August at Nationals.
While the next six athletes were not in Australia, they have a wealth of international experience, and each were in top form at Nationals. Drew Modrov (Riis Park), the elder statesman of the team, has been named team captain and will share swimming duties with Stephen Blaauw (LA County). Nate Humbertson (Monmouth County) will handle the Surfski after winning the event in convincing fashion at Nationals. Dylan Narcowich (Deerfield) and Lukas Pohlman (LA County) are excellent board racers, and Coleman Woodard (Sussex County) took third in the Ironman. Notably, Higgins and Woodard both have international experience from their time on the USLA Youth National Team.
Congratulations and good luck to the USLA Surf Lifesaving National Team. To learn more about the team and ways to support them, please go to USLA.org/TeamUSA.
I wonder if this would be a fun and exciting Olympic sport.