The International Surfing Association (ISA) is taking a stand when it comes to stand-up paddle racing — which is known by the cool acronym “SUP.”
The La Jolla, Calif.-based organization’s new partnership with the Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) World Tour marks a new era in the development and leadership of the sport, according to Inside the Games. The website reports that a stand-up paddle World Cup leg in Scharbeutz, Germany, on June 30 will mark the first official stage of ISA involvement.
“We are thrilled to join forces with the APP and to work together in the best interests of the athletes and the sport, including both stand-up paddle surfing and racing disciplines,” said Fernando Aguerre, president of the ISA, which has been battling the International Canoe Foundation for control over the disciplines. “No other international federation in the world has been as committed or active as the ISA in the organi[z]ation and development of SUP. Through this partnering with the APP, we have solidified our role and leadership as the world’s sole governing body for SUP in all its forms.”
As Inside the Games reports:
Stand-up paddle boarding, an activity which has enjoyed huge growth in recent years, features athletes standing on a board and using a long paddle to move. It, therefore, features elements of both surfing and canoeing. The ISA insist that they have longstanding experience in the sport and have only faced interference from the ICF since they tried to add the discipline onto the program for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. The dispute between the two governing bodies particularly cent[er]s around who would be responsible for administering the discipline at [the] Olympic level.
That said, it’s clear that stand-up paddle boarding and paddle racing is making waves. With a long history that some enthusiasts claim dates back thousands of years, SUP boards have been classified by the U.S. Coast Guard as the same type of vessels as canoes and kayaks since 2008.
Stand Up Paddle World Magazine offers an insightful history of the sport.
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