London SUP Open 2018: Gathering of the World’s Top SUPerstars!

The APP World Tour has launched a series of City SUP events. Located in 3 iconic capital cities on both sides of the Atlantic, London, Paris and New York City, this is a trio of SUP events not to be missed! The 1st stop will be at The London SUP Open on July 7th and 8th 2018. The London SUP Open will be crammed full of activities including and not limited to elite racing, family racing, clinics, post race entertainment and SUP yoga.

The Racing in the Docks will be in a stadium format allowing the spectators to view the action all through the day. The distance race is a series of laps, plus short form sprints for all divisions, and a large, supervised demo area for people to get on the water and try the sport for the first time! There is also a Dragon Race event a chance for teams to get together and take part free of charge, plus not forgetting youth racing for the U16s! There is certainly something for everyone!

Ideally situated in the London Docks it has excellent access from mainland Europe and from all corners of the UK. Already with a series of top-rated international athletes present plus the added bonus of paddling past dramatic and imposing buildings on both sides of the Thames. Plus the announcement of the Pro-Am division, this is an oportunity for up and coming paddlers to launch themselves onto the world circuit, this is truly not an event to be missed. Are you ready for it?  TotalSUP talks to APP World Tour CEO Tristan Boxford about this exciting event and his vision for the future events.

Hi Tristan, London is a really exciting location for a SUP event, why did you choose it?

The goal of the APP was to hit the World’s major Cities with the City Paddle Festival approach and London is one of the most exciting global Cities in the summer time, so a great place to start. It also fits in perfectly with our New York City event around the Statue of Liberty and our Paris event, where we are building on the well established race on the River Seine, making it a trifecta of the world’s most high profile and iconic Cities.

What was it that excited the APP about the location?

The Royal Docks location was the perfect solution for us in the City, it allows us to establish a true festival right in the heart of London. The City (financial district)  and the O2 Stadium will be epic backdrops, the venue also provides a contained and safe waterway for the event, it especially allows for a true mass participation and  to reach a new market for the sport. The event is fully omplimented by a full schedule of music, entertainment, food and beverage, the goal is to establish an urban beach lifestyle festival in London.

We have included into the event the Battersea to Westminster Bridge Race for the Pro Racers, this is  a much more challenging waterway, this will certainly provide a dramatic and iconic backdrop to the race.

We are working with the Greater London Authority and London Sport to build what will be a legacy event for the City of London for the years to come! This will be the beginning of many more years to come!

Why London?

The first event is in London, this is really an opportunity to really set the tone for what City Paddle Festivals are was the goal, and London and the venues that we have established provide the perfect tools to achieve this goal. Accessibility to London obviously only enhances the proposition, as you can fly into London from anywhere in the world, plus City Airport is a stone’s throw from the venue, as well as a massive selection of accommodation options (given its proximity to the Xcel exhibition Center)

Which riders will be present for the event?

We have 3 principal divisions, there is a division for all levels, ages and motivations!

The Pro Division: The world’s top 32 Men and top 16 women from this year will feature, including everyone from defending World Champion Connor Baxter, multiple times World Champion and watersports super star Kai Lenny, the Viking Casper Steinfath, Mo Freitas, Michael Booth, Arthur Arutkin, Danny Ching, Travis Grant, Ryan Funk, Slater Trout and many more. Meanwhile in the women’s event athletes present will be American Candice Appleby, Shae Foudy, Yuka Sato, Manca Notar, Annie Reickert, Chloe Walkerdene and Sonni Honscheid (tbd), who are all set to battle it out in the UK’s capital City.

The Pro-Am Division: This is essentially a qualifier division for the World Tour, so any racers outside the mens top 32 and womens top 16 women, who are very competitive and looking to make a name for themselves on the global stage!

The Amateur Division: This race is for everyone, from avid enthusiast who will take on full length courses, to entry level paddlers who can compete on as short as a few hundred meters sprint or 1km distance race!

and not forgetting the Family paddle event, this is about having fun on the water, inclusivity and making this more of a fun festival for all the family. It will be a fun way to get parents and kids engaged and enjoying the water here in London.

 The Nisco One design race is already big in the UK, why did you chose to integrate it into the London SUP?

The APP world Tour is about embracing all aspects of the sport and provide multiple access points. Not everyone who comes into this kind of event will know what direction they want to take in the sport, but by having the focus being on fun on the water and participating vs purely competing allows us to create a more well-rounded experience, while layering in the competitive amateur, pro-am and Pro divisions to deliver a high profile sporting event

Photo Creedit: N1sco

How easy will it be for people to get their kit into the Docks?

It will be pretty straightforward – we have a drop off zone at the Siemens Building at the Royal Docks where participants will be able to drop their boards directly into a safe storage for the weekend and go park their cars close by. Alternatively, we also have boards for hire (around 150), so people can just show up ready for action if they so choose, with Docklands Light railway, Emirates Cable Car and City Airport all providing transport directly to the venue

SUP boards are for hire if booked in advance, there is a small supply of race boards that they can rent and over 150 standard boards

What about the post race entertainment?

There will be a fun party atmosphere for sure, with DJ’s through the weekend, a full program of entertainment on stage and on the water, multiple bars and Food establishments and vendors showcasing their latest gear and products.

Register here for the biggest SUP festival London has seen!