(Press release) The International Canoe Federation and the Chinese Canoe Association have just announced they will host the US $50,000 ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships in October. The world championships will be staged at Qingdao, on China’s Yellow Sea coast, from October 24-27. Qingdao was the venue for the sailing competition at the 2008 Olympic Games.
And in an extra coup for the ICF, the organisers of the highly successful Beijing 2008 sailing competition will work with the canoeing federation on the preparation and the running of the ICF SUP World Championships.
“This is a very important development for us, because organising a SUP World Championships requires considerable logistical planning,” ICF President, Jose Perurena, said. “This partnership will ensure everything that is needed to make our world championships a success, including boat transport, accommodation, meals and athlete well-being, will be handled by experienced and professional personnel.”
Mr Perurena said the professionalism of the event together with generous prize money will attract top-class athletes from around the globe.
“Last year athletes expressed their disappointment and frustration when, due to circumstances outside our control, we were forced to cancel our SUP World Championships in Portugal,” he said. “We promised we would be back in 2019, and today we can announce we will deliver on our promise. The 2019 ICF SUP World Championships in China is set to be an event to remember. “The Chinese Canoe Association is very enthusiastic, the location is a former Olympic venue and will be fantastic, and the athletes are going to see once again the ICF’s commitment to stand up paddling.”
The ICF SUP World Championships will be part of a busy three weeks for the canoeing community in China, with the country also hosting the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships and a dragon boat world cup.
“Canoeing across all disciplines is growing strongly throughout China, which is fantastic for the sport and a great reflection on the commitment and drive of the Chinese Canoe Association,” Mr Perurena said.
The 2018 ICF SUP World Championships in Portugal were cancelled at the last minute after a local court challenge backed by the International Surfing Association.
Because of the lateness of the court decision, the ICF decided not to challenge the verdict and to instead focus its attention on hosting a very successful 2019 World Championships.
“The SUP community told us they were very angry and frustrated that they had been denied the chance to compete at such a big, important event because of a court challenge,” Mr Perurena said.
“We are confident the 2019 World Championships will withstand any attempt to thwart the event.”
As the year drew to a close, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) unveiled its updated competition rule book, set to take effect on 1 January 2025, igniting discussions within the SUP community. Notable provisions sparking debate include the introduction of a one-design hard board mandate for Junior Athletes under 18 (U18) and the broad, non-specific […]
From coaching to racing arm in arm and paddle in paddle, Daniel Hasulyo, World SUP Champion, Coach, entrepreneur and SUNOVA Team Rider, unlocks an exciting SUP racing scene in China and its large and active paddleboarding communities. Daniel’s account of two weeks of racing is a celebration of high performance, camaraderie and shared passion for […]
Welcome to the dedicated 2024 ICF SUP Worlds page! Here, you’ll find the latest updates on one of the year’s biggest SUP events, taking place in Sarasota, Florida, from 20 to 24 November. As the official media partner for this landmark event, TotalSUP is here to keep you updated on all the action, from thrilling […]
Esperanza Barreras, one of the most dominant athletes in the SUP Racing world, heads into the 2024 ICF SUP World Championships in Sarasota, Florida, as the reigning ICF champion in both the Technical Race and Long Distance categories. Known for her remarkable consistency and versatility across all racing disciplines, the Starboard dream team rider has […]
As the 2024 ICF SUP Worlds open in 10 days in Sarasota, Florida, there’s been an influx of announcements from the International Canoe Federation (ICF), the global governing body for paddle sports. Among the significant updates is the elevation of SUP from a commission to a full committee, now on par with other disciplines, with […]
Andrey Kraytor, the former canoe sprint world champion and now renowned SUP sprinter, is gearing up for the ICF SUP World Championships in Sarasota, Florida wearing multiple hats. With Union Paddlers offering their crucial rental service, athletes from across the globe will have access through Andredy Kraytor to top-tier gear, breaking down one of the […]
With just 6 weeks to go until the ICF SUP World Championships in Sarasota, excitement is building for what promises to be an unforgettable event. Hoichan Kwon, head of SUP at the ICF, shares his vision for the event with TotalSUP and its significance to the SUP scene in the USA. As some of the […]
The 2024 Agios Nikolaos on SUP, held in the stunning coastal town of Agios Nikolaos, Greece, marked the fourth stop of the ICF SUP circuit as this year’s only SUP World CUP . This prestigious event, which ran from September 27 to 29, attracted an impressive roster of athletes from 17 countries, competing across three […]
As the 2024 SUP racing season reaches its midpoint, we sit down with Hoichan Kwon, head of SUP Racing at the International Canoe Federation (ICF). Reflecting on a thrilling first half of the year, Hoichan highlights the successful integration of opportunities for juniors and the significant turnout at key events, such as the Spring SUP […]
Use of cookies
This website uses cookies in order to make it easier to use and to support the provision of relevant information and functionality to you.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
3rd Party Cookies
We use a set of third party tools to provide information on how our users engage with our website so that we can improve the experience of the website for our users. For example, we collect information about which of our pages are most frequently visited, and by which types of users. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!