Universality Key to Stand-Up Paddling's Olympic Quest

(ATR) From the tropical waters of Fiji to the urban canals of the elegant city center of Copenhagen, stand-up paddling is a growing sport demonstrating that it can be contested nearly any place that has water.

The 2017 World SUP and Paddleboard Championship kicked off in front of the Danish capital’s iconic Opera House, weaving and snaking through the city’s canals.

Bruno Hasulyo, 22, of Hungary, and Annabel Anderson, 36, of New Zealand, respectively won the men’s and women’s 18km distance races. Competitors were cheered on by fans and teammates, some riding bicycles and waving flags from small bridges around the course.

"The set-up here is pretty nice and paddling in the city is very cool," said French bronze medalist Titouan Puyo.

A record 42 countries are competing at the world championship. Stand-up paddling is considered to be the world’s fastest growing water sport and it appears there is still potential to expand.

Diverse locations are part of the International Surfing Association’s strategy to showcase stand-up paddling as a universal sport.

"Universality is very important to us and SUP is the most accessible discipline," ISA executive director Robert Fasulo tells Around the Rings. "We contested our championships in Fiji last year with paddlers going from Cloud Break to beautiful Musket Cove and here we are in the center of a major European city."

Fasulo says the site for the 2018 world championships will soon be determined.

"The Netherlands has shown great interest and we are also talking to locations in South America and Asia," he said.

Previous editions of the SUP world championship were staged in Peru in 2012 and 2013, Mexico in 2015 and Fiji last year.

Thirteen new countries are participating in Denmark. The event shifts from Copenhagen to Vorupor on Monday. The location on Denmark’s northwestern coast is often referred to as ‘Cold Hawaii’.

Iva Dundova, 21, of the Czech Republic, is thrilled to be competing at her first world championship. Lacking funding, the Czechs are sleeping in their vans.

"We created a federation in winter and everything went very fast," Dundova said. "I am just one of four people from our team and we are very happy to be here."

ISA president Fernando Aguerre is leading the charge for SUP’s inclusion at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The discipline was rejected for Tokyo 2020.

"Our goal is 2024 Paris, SUP participation and hopefully racing in the River Seine," Aguerre proclaimed at Friday’s opening ceremony.

However, some veteran competitors, like Saturday’s champion Anderson, have mixed emotions as they stress the sport’s need to grow organically.

"The sport is at a really critical point right now," Anderson said. "The professional side is in dire straits and the participatory side is higher than ever. It is harder than ever to make a living.

"Not every sport benefits from being part of the Olympic Movement," she added. "We have a lot of work to do with the sport to sure up the future.

"Right now the ISA and ICF need to stop fighting and let the grow sport organically because it can be amazing," Anderson said, referring to the ongoing feud between the surfing and canoe governing bodies regarding the right to oversee SUP.

The dispute appears headed to mediation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Contrary to Anderson, French bronze medalist Titouan Puyo, 26, would like to see the sport showcased in 2024.

"That’s the dream for every paddler to do the Olympics," Puyo said. "If Paris could hold SUP for the Olympics Games it would be very good and bring a lot to the sport and the athletes."

Hasulyo has previously won a major SUP race. He is excited about the possibility of racing once again on a grander stage.

"That will be my biggest dream to get to the Olympics with this amazing sport, but we will see," he said.

Written and reported by Brian Pinelliin Copenhagen

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