The International Canoe Federation helding the 2021 ICF SUP World Championships in Balaton-Fured on September 9-12. The ACA was proud to work with the Race Director (Kristin Thomas) and the United States SUP competition community to field the first ever US National Team.
ICF Sports
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIRST EVER UNITED STATES NATIONAL SUP TEAM!
Stand Up Paddling
Stand Up Paddling, often identified by its acronym SUP, is exactly what the name describes: standing on a board while paddling. It is one of the fastest growing recreational sports in the world and is contested internationally on lakes, rivers, oceans, canals, or whitewater. SUP racing is usually contested in three different ways: sprint, distance, or technical.
According to ICF standards, sprint events can be a maximum of 250m, distance can be anywhere from 5 km to 30 km (3 to 19 miles), and technical can be anywhere from 800m to 5 km; these measurements apply to both men and women. ICF sanctioned boards are not permitted to have rudders and/or foils.
The first SUP world championship was held as a three-day competition in Qingdao, China in 2019. American Connor Baxter won the men’s sprint and placed second in men’s technical. On the women’s side, American Fiona Wylde finished third in technical and long distance. Country totals/standings were not calculated at this event but are scheduled to be implemented in the SUP competition system moving forward.