Czech and Danish Federations Charge the Way for ParaSUP Progress

The growth of ParaSUP (para stand-up paddleboarding) marks a significant advancement in adaptive sports, aiming to make stand-up paddleboarding accessible to individuals with disabilities. This new discipline empowers more people to experience the sport and its benefits. The ISA World Championships in Copenhagen recently showcased its potential, thanks to the efforts of the Czech Surf and SUP Federation (Česká Federace SURF a SUP) and Danish Surf & SUP Federation (Surf and SUP Danmark).

Photo by Cat Yde Media

Initiatives like these, along with ongoing collaborations that invite other countries to join, are helping to expand and promote ParaSUP globally, ensuring that the growth of ParaSUP stand-up paddleboarding is on an upward trajectory, fuelled by increased participation, advancements in adaptive technology, and a commitment to inclusivity.

TotalSUP caught up with Lucie Raab, General Secretary  of the Czech Federation SURF and SUP, and Stinna Tange of Surf & SUP Danmark, both of whom are trailblazing the way for adaptive SUP.

We’re also sharing our exclusive chat with the Czech ParaSUP athlete Martin Maverick Zikmund and a regular on the international SUP racing scene.

Don’t miss what other athletes, including Casper Steinfath, Emma Freja Pedersen, Paolo Marconi and Chiara Vorster had to share about the relay!

Photo by Cat Yde Media

Casper Steinfath, 6x SUP World Champion and ISA Worlds Event Ambassador said:  “Paddling the ParaSUP relay was definitely one of my highlights of the entire event! Racing with Stinna and the rest of the ParaSUP athletes was really fun, and reminded me of how joyful racing can be. Their contagious energy totally got to me! I really hope this test event in Copenhagen was the spark that ignited the world of ParaSUP and will lead to more events and opportunities for ParaSUP athletes around the world.”

Photo credit: Česká Federace SURF a SUP

Hi Lucie, what was the inspiration for the ParaSUP demonstration event in Copenhagen and how did the partnership between the Czech and Danish Surf & SUP federations come about?

Last September 2023 we received a call from Michael Lindberg from the European Surf Federation regarding the development of paddleboarding and surfing in our country. We said that we have been running organized and competitive ParaSUP in our country for five years and that it was a possible discipline that we could work on internationally. He was interested. And since Michael, together with Jakob Faerch, is the head of the Danish Surf Federation, was about to host the ISA World SUP Championships in Copenhagen, we agreed that we could do a showcase event together right at the World Championships. I think it’s also because the Danes in general are a very pro-social nation and these topics, like accessibility of the sport for all, just interest them.

The ParaSUP Showcase was organised in prime time immediately after the final sprint heats had finished. The spectator-attracting SUP and ParaSUP pair relays of Czech and Danish competitors were a success with spectators and competitors alike. And with that our cooperation has just started!

From left: Jesper Carlson, Lucie Raab, Jakob Faerch, Simon Brucz, Stinna Tange, David Raab, Michael Lindberg, Ole Wejse Svarrer | Photo credit: Česká Federace SURF a SUP

What are the goals of introducing ParaSUP as a new discipline in stand-up paddleboarding? How do you see its development in the coming years?

The goal is to develop ParaSUP so it becomes a fully inclusive discipline. It is our strong belief that SUP offer opportunities and freedom for all people with disabilities and we want to ensure that everybody can partake in our wonderful sport.

Currently, there’s no representation of ParaSUP in our sport, even though it’s a fantastic activity with both social and athletic benefits, that blurs the barriers between all paddleboarders. We continued the development of this discipline at the end of October with a visit to the Danish Surf and SUP Federation on this topic. Stinna Tange, who organized the whole Showcase and participated as a competitor is now in charge of ParaSUP. Our goals are to unify the rules, as in our country only the category of sitting on special seats is raced. To define the disciplines and the shape of the courses, while being as close as possible to the already existing ISA standards, so that it is both fun and challenging for the participants.

Photo credit: Česká Federace SURF a SUP

Hi Stinna, what kind of training and support is currently available for ParaSUP athletes and how can it be expanded to bring more adaptive athletes into the discipline?

Stinna: In Denmark Surf & SUP Denmark has just been granted financial funds for the development of ParaSUP and ParaSurf. We want to support the people interested in doing our sports by assuring accessibility in the local clubs as well as qualified trainers who can offer the right support. At the same time, we are developing the structure of the sport and the competitions, so that the para athletes will have the same professional set-up as the able-bodied. We already established the partnership between Denmark and Czech Republic in this process, and we hope other countries are interested in joining in.

The Organisers would like to thank Thanks Mistral International for providing the inflatable boards for the relay | Photo by Cat Yde

Lucie: In our country, there is an association called Aktivně s vozíkem (Active with a Wheelchair) which has been behind this from the beginning and lends suitable seats and sports equipment to anyone interested. They train individually or within existing paddleboard clubs. Most paraSUP athletes still have a main sport or two in which they excel. Para athletes are extremely performance oriented.

We have just started the “ParaSUP Europe/ Worldwide” project and we know it will take some time. We need to work on introducing the sport and get other collaborators from other countries. From our experience in building a new sport, defining the rules of the sport is a good stepping stone. And that is what we are doing.

What are your hopes for the future in terms of inclusivity, recognition and growth of ParaSUP?

Lucie: Nothing is impossible. Our races in the Czech Republic are already inclusive – we hold a joint SUP and ParaSUP championship. ParaSUP racers have also their own category in the Czech Paddleboard Cup races. We will now work on filling and popularizing this category across Europe and on the specifics of the race classes and courses as well as the possible water terrains. And then we will see. What we already know is that ParaSUP will excite every athlete after the first ride and it makes sense to run it anyway.

Photo by Cat Yde Media

Stinna: Right now we are in the early days of the development of the sport, but eventually our ambition is to have such a professional set-up and structure of the sport, that we will have a joint World Championship with the able-bodied. It would of course be two different competitions but under the same banner. And who knows? Maybe it can make it on the paralympic program!

Martin Maverick Zikmund | Photo credit: Česká Federace SURF a SUP

In conversation with Martin Maverick Zikmund: 

Hi Martin, congratulations on amazing performance at the ISA Worlds! Can you share more about your SUP journey and what led you to pursue the competitive side of the sport?

My way to SUP was through summer training for para-hockey. I always took a paddleboard, kayak paddle and trained in the summer. Then my coach came out in the spring of 2019 and told me that there were ParaSUP races and that I was going to go and win. So I went and won the title. That broke everything and I started training and racing more and more. Thanks to the very friendly SUP community I started to participate in regular SUP races. SUP and ParaSUP work together and we don’t discriminate.

What kind of training and support are available for adaptive athletes at the moment, and how can these be expanded to help more adaptive athletes join the discipline?

When it comes to training and support one has to love it. When I’m not training on the water I can train at home – a regular rubber and a pole will replace the resistance of the water. This can be done in winter. Then one should do different strength training. Don’t be afraid, find a suitable place on the water and start riding, even just a board without a seat at first, don’t be afraid to fall into the water. Set goals and start working towards them. Spend every spare moment on the water. Sign up for SUP races, don’t worry about the final standings.

As a seasoned athlete, what has been your experience participating in ParaSUP in Copenhagen and how do you think the sport can evolve to attract more adaptive athletes?

Copenhagen was an amazing event. Saturday’s open race for the public showed how popular SUP is in Denmark. It was great fun. Riding in the canal was no surprise to me. I took advantage of the experience from the Dutch SUP 11-City Tour. I must also add that the waves from the passing boats on Friday was a great workout.

Oh, and the Sunday performance of ParaSUP itself, there was a fantastic atmosphere and great support from the stands. The relay format was an excellent choice for the presentation, capturing the energy and pace of a regular race atmosphere.

When it comes to development, it’s essential to create an inclusive environment that doesn’t differentiate, much like what we strive for in the Czech Republic. There is only one sport. Next, present it, don’t be afraid to race SUP and ParaSUP. Personally, for example in Copenhagen there are many places where you can get on the water, which is a huge advantage. As for the gear itself, I started out on a simple fishing chair before getting an official seat, there are many options. Just don’t be afraid and go for it.

Photo source: International Surfing Association

Paolo Marconi, pro SUP racer and Coach, said: “The ParaSUP event has been a great show and a great way to end the World Championship in Copenhagen. It was so cool to share the relay with some first timers paddlers and also with some paralympics athletes. I was honoured to be part of it and I really hope that this kind of event will become a fixture in the future Worlds.”

Photo source: International Surfing Association

Emma Freja Pedersen, Danish SUP athlete, said: “I was approached by Stinna Tange who works for the Danish Surf & SUP Federation, regarding showcasing the ParaSUP relay – I said yes immediately. This was both my first ISA Words event, and as I understood it, it was also the first time ParaSUP was a part of it. I’m really happy that I got to be a part of something that was both fun, and really important to include in the community, as well as getting to know new paddlers.

The set-up of the relay worked great, and though it was not a part of the official competition, all athletes paddled and the audience certainly cheered like it was. Doing it during the ISAs and on the very same course where the sprint finals had been taking place not an hour before was a great choice, and I hope to see more ParaSUP on the programme in the future.”

Photo source: International Surfing Association

Annabel Page, British SUP athlete, said: “Great experience! I enjoyed it a lot and it was rewarding, great to see everyone enjoying SUP and hopefully it inspires more para athletes to join in and get involved with the sport. It was also a good example of how to run a successful and fair event, great fun for all participants and a good duration.”

Photo source: Skrea Strand Paddlerace

Chiara Vorster, South African SUP athlete said:  “It was an incredible experience to take part in the ParaSUP relay during the showcase event at the ISA World Championships this year. The 100m sprint relay format was not only fun to participate in, but also very engaging for spectators. I had never seen ParaSUP before, and I was truly inspired by how accessible the sport can be for so many people! Watching the racing Para-athletes in action, I could see how far our sport can grow.

I believe that relay-style races are a fantastic way to help the ParaSUP discipline grow within international SUP communities. Representation is crucial in all sports, and it’s essential that SUP reflects this if we want the sport to be recognised by international sport committees. Copenhagen SUP and the Czech SUP Federation took an important step in raising international awareness of ParaSUP, and I hope more event organisers will follow suit and create similar showcase events. Exposure to ParaSUP is incredibly important for current SUP participants—before taking part, I had no idea about the sport. I had the best time being part of the ParaSUP showcase event, and I’m sure many others will too! I’m excited to continue supporting these events and look forward to seeing how they will shape the future of ParaSUP.”

Photo by Cat Yde Media

Interested in ParaSUP? Please contact, Stinna Tange (Denmark): stinna@surfsup.dk and Lucie Raab, (Prague, Czechia): lucie.raab@cfsas.cz 

Follow Czech Surf and SUP Federation (Česká Federace SURF a SUP)on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube