Elise Daudignon: Surf Lifesaving Athlete Gears Up for the ISA SUP & Paddleboard Worlds

At just 19, Elise Daudignon, is set to represent Team France for the second consecutive year next week at the 2024 ISA SUP World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. Surf lifesaving, a sport that has produced many paddleboard specialists, plays a central role in her athletic career and Elise has already achieved remarkable success, including a junior world title and three Senior European titles. With one of the biggest competitions of the year just days away, we seized the opportunity to dive into Elise Daudignon’s journey, explore the world of surf lifesaving, and get ourselves into competition mode alongside her.

Hello Elise, can you tell us who you are, where you are from, and share with us your top sport achievements?

Hi, I’m Elise Daudignon. I’m 19 and I live near Hossegor, in the southwest of France. My top sports achievements in Surf Lifesaving include winning the world junior title in Beach Flags (ed. short elimination sprint rounds on the sand) two years ago, and last year, securing three Senior European titles in paddleboard sprint and surfski.

Can you explain what Surf Lifesaving is for those who might not be familiar with the sport?

Surf Lifesaving is a sport that originated in Australia hundreds of years ago. It’s divided into two parts: one held in pools and the other in the ocean. In both cases, it’s about racing as fast as possible around obstacles and buoys, with the first to finish winning. There are both individual and team events.

For ocean events, there are six individual races: the paddleboard race (on a 10’6 board with handles and no leash), the swim race, the surfski race (on a type of long kayak), the Oceanman (which combines swimming, surfski, and paddleboard), the 90m sprint on the sand, and the beach flags (a series of 20m sprint rounds on the sand).

As TotalSUP is mainly a community of SUP Racers, can you explain what paddleboarding is and how it fits into the surf lifesaving discipline?

Paddleboarding is quite similar to the paddleboard used in lifesaving, though it’s a longer board (12’). There are two types of races: an 18km race around buoys, and a 5km technical race, often held in waves, also around buoys. In both cases, the fastest wins.

How do the ISA World championship race formats differ from what paddleboarders are typically used to in surf lifesaving competitions?

These kinds of races are very different from what lifesavers are used to, as a typical board race is around 400m, making it much shorter and requiring a different kind of effort.

How did it feel to be crowned world champion with Team France in Les Sables d’Olonne?

It was an amazing feeling to compete—everyone did their part, and it all worked out so well. Competing at home added something special, I must admit.

How was your racing last year?

It was a great first experience in the ISA format, and I learned a lot, which I hope will be useful this year.

Are you happy to be selected again with Team France? What are your objectives at the ISA worlds this year?

I’m really happy to be selected again this year for another incredible experience (I can already tell). I’m hopeful to improve my rankings compared to last year.

Have you ever been tempted by SUP racing, and what are your thoughts on it?

I never really considered SUP racing, as I’ve always been busy with surf lifesaving, but I think it’s a great sport with values similar to lifesaving.

Can you describe the atmosphere at the ISA World Championships and why you think Copenhagen will be a great venue for the next event?

I think it’s impossible to fully describe the atmosphere—it’s something you have to experience yourself to understand. But it’s mostly filled with excitement, pride, and happiness. Copenhagen is a fantastic venue—such a beautiful city with a lot of charm and history.

Get ready for the 2024 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships:
Official ISA Event Website

The Copenhagen Paddle Festival + OPEN race registration:
Copenhagen SUP