The road to surfing's third Olympic appearance at Lower Trestles just became a little smoother—at least for World Surf League athletes.

Just a few months after the International Surfing Association (ISA) unveiled a controversial qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the governing body has approved a significant revision following widespread backlash from athletes, national federations, and the surfing community.

When the original system was announced earlier this year, one of the biggest sticking points was the reduction of World Surf League Championship Tour qualification spots from 10 men and 10 women to just five men and five women.…