The International Surfing Association (ISA), the World Governing Authority for Surfing, is now accepting applications for the 2011 ISA Individual Scholarship Program. The ISA aims to award 25 scholarships to junior surfers around the world.

The Scholarship Program is open to all junior surfers, age 18 and under. Applicants must prove financial need, be enrolled in school with good standing, and be an inspirational role model to the surfing community.

The ISA Individual Scholarship Program's main objective is to provide financial support to junior surfers who demonstrate an actual need, in order to facilitate an experience in surfing while encouraging the importance of education. The money must be used to travel to surf contests, buy new surfing equipment, or to foster the junior surfer's education. The program offers added incentive for national surfing federations to send teams to ISA events, furthering the reach of surfing, as scholarship recipients use the experience to become better surfers, potential national champions and even possibly, world champions - all while continuing with their education.

Two thousand and eleven will be the fifth year of the ISA Individual Scholarship Program. In 2010, 25 surfers from Africa, Australasia, the Americas and Europe received financial aid to keep developing their surfing and educational skills. All 25 scholarship recipients are great students, surfers and inspirational role models for their countries and the entire surfing tribe.

The ISA is the first and only surfing association to provide global support specifically dedicated to developing surf skills and education. Many sports have different organizations that offer financial assistance to athletes, but the ISA has decided to take the first step in surfing by looking to the industry and media to support the project that will certainly make surfing stronger in the years to come. There are thousands of potential ISA Scholarship recipients in the world and, in following one of its most important missions, the ISA has decided to help junior surfers for a better surfing future.

The program started with five recipients in 2007, quadrupling in 2008 to 20 awarded, and then doubled in 2009, delivering 40 scholarships. In 2010 the ISA gave 25 scholarships and for 2011 the ISA will continue the same level of support by providing 25 scholarships of 1.000 US dollars to each of the winners.

Fernando Aguerre, President of the ISA, said about the Scholarship Program announcement, "I'm very happy to be presenting, for the fifth consecutive year, the ISA Individual Scholarship Program. This program proved to be a success since its creation and we are hoping to increase the number of recipients and funding in the years to come. This program is only possible thanks to the generous donations from Billabong, the Quiksilver Foundation and Reef Redemption, each of whom contributes to the program. It's great to know that three of the biggest surfing brands in the world have given such strong support to the program, working together with the ISA for a better surfing future."

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