Iran is the 100th member nation of the International Surfing Association (ISA).
It's a historic moment for surfing's governing body. The organization led by Fernando Aguerre has hit the 100th club member.
The Islamic Republic of Iran joins the world surfing community as the sport prepares to make its Olympic debut.
Iran has waves, especially on the southern coast. The country gets swells from the Indian Ocean, and Baluchistan is the region with the most potential for surfing.
Easkey Britton, an Irish female surfer, was one of the first riders to catch waves in Iran.
And when the locals saw her walking on water in 2010, they started surfing too. The story was poured into a movie: "Into the Sea."
The newly founded Iran Surfing Association is now ready to work with ISA to train the first surf instructors.
"Iran has 120 kilometers of ocean shoreline for surfing, lots of lakes and rivers for paddleboarding, and many young sports fans, giving us great potential for the development of surfing across the country," notes Alireza Rostami, president of the Iran Surfing Association.
"Surfing is not just a sport for the people of Iran, but a tool capable of uniting people of different cultures and backgrounds that highlights the values of hospitality, truthfulness, and loyalty that define Iranian culture."
The Iranian surfers will now try to expand the sport throughout the country, find new talents, promote workshops, and organize local and national competitions.
"This decision is rich in symbolism for us, both in terms of the milestone of recognizing ISA's 100th Member but also in showing surfing's ability to help bring unity through sport," underlines Fernando Aguerre.
"When I began as President, the ISA had 32 member federations so to reach the 100 mark is very special."