The Association of Surfing Professionals has an initial budget to introduce the WADA’s steroid program

Anabolic steroids are used by surfers too. Sport governing body proclaims that prohibited medicines are a great problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals made a decision to implicate testing for anabolic steroids and other prohibited preparations that are used for performance-enhancing effects.
The Association of Surfing Professionals led several discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could implicate testing for banned products into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is claimed to be the best policy, the surfing organization intends to use this protocol. Of course, this is the next victory of the WADA that induces the opportunity to manage drug-testing programs in sports.
It is known that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are principal skills that promote winning. Thus, surfers could be convinced that administration of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs influences on success greatly. It is also important to take in consideration that amount of money which is obtained by winners is large. Winners obtain no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to receive money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nevertheless, it is said that administration of anabolic steroids and other products that enhance performance is not widespread in surfing. Numerous individuals believe that application of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than intake of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was frequently associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts support this impression. The number of surfers that are caught administrating marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite enhanced.
The professional surfer Andi Irons died in November 2010. A heart attack that he had was caused by drug abuse. It was defined that steroids hadn’t been involved in this case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his body.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. High levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for Anthony Ruffo, another professional surfer, he was caught selling meth.
Only Neco Padaratz, a professional surfer from Brazil, was caught administrating steroids. He received a one-year ban. This person tested positive for forbidden products in 2004. This person confirmed that he had used these medicines to receive a full recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was sentenced to a ban. He was the first individual who was caught taking steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to certain sources, he remains to be the only surfer that has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the initial budget for introduction of the WADA steroid program into surfing.
Although it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new anti-doping program can create a wrong public perception.