Suzhou and Burlington emerge as contenders to host 2027 Paddle Worldwide SUP Worlds

Several destinations are bidding to host the next edition of the Paddle Worldwide SUP World Championships, with China’s Suzhou and Burlington, Vermont, among the leading candidates. The 2027 host could be announced during this month’s World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy.

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has adopted Paddle Worldwide (PW) as its new official name, marking a new chapter for the international governing body for canoe and paddle sports. From this point forward, TotalSUP will use Paddle Worldwide and/or its accronym PW throughout its coverage when referring to the federation and its international activities.

The change comes as the organisation continues to expand its global presence across paddle sports, with Stand Up Paddle playing an increasingly prominent role within its international competition programme.

Against that backdrop, the race to host the 2027 Paddle Worldwide Stand Up Paddle World Championships is taking shape, with a number of international destinations putting forward bids for the sport’s flagship event.

According to Paddle Worldwide, Suzhou, China, and Burlington, Vermont, USA are currently among the strongest contenders, with a decision on the host expected to be announced shortly.

The announcement could come during this year’s ICF SUP World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy, from October 14–18, where a record level of participation is expected for the flagship event.

The 2026 World Championships will bring together athletes from across the world, underlining the continued growth of SUP and the increasingly international nature of the sport’s competition calendar.

The interest in hosting future editions comes as SUP continues to expand its international competition footprint, with major events being staged in a growing number of destinations across Europe, North America and Asia.

Paddle Worldwide President Thomas Konietzko said the growing number of potential hosts reflects the continued development of the sport: “Stand Up Paddle continues to grow rapidly around the world, and as Paddle Worldwide we have a clear responsibility to turn that momentum into meaningful opportunities for athletes,” Konietzko said.

Suzhou enters the spotlight

Suzhou is making a particularly strong case for the 2027 Championships as the Chinese city prepares to host the final SUP World Cup of the Ranking Series before the World Championships.

The Suzhou SUP World Cup runs from October 5–7, bringing the international field together ahead of the World Championships in Sabaudia.

Located in the Jiangsu Province in southeastern China, Suzhou is known for its historic waterways and classical gardens, several of which form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city is expected to welcome around 180 athletes for the World Cup, providing an important test of its ability to stage a major international SUP competition.

Konietzko visited Suzhou ahead of the event as discussions continue over the city’s interest in hosting the World Championships.

The visit forms part of a wider Paddle Worldwide programme in China. Konietzko is also in the country for the Hangzhou Super Cup and Dragon Boat World Championships, where SUP has featured in a mass-participation event alongside other disciplines.

The format highlights Paddle Worldwide’s efforts to combine elite competition with participation events and broader multi-discipline programmes.

Burlington offers a different proposition

Across the Atlantic, Burlington, Vermont, USA is also among the destinations competing to host the 2027 Championships.

The city sits on the shores of Lake Champlain, with views towards the Green Mountains and a waterfront located close to the centre of Burlington.

Its bid is built around a combination of an established local SUP community, experience in event delivery and a proposed festival atmosphere designed to bring athletes, spectators and the wider community together.

While Suzhou would offer an Asian setting centred around its historic waterways and growing international sporting profile, Burlington would provide a distinctly North American waterfront environment.

Other destinations are also understood to be under consideration, with Paddle Worldwide expected to confirm the 2027 host in the near future. Sabaudia could provide the backdrop for that announcement when the 2026 World Championships get underway on October 14.

The 2026 season continues after Sabaudia

Although the Sabaudia World Championships represent the season’s major flagship event, the 2026 Paddle Worldwide calendar will continue afterwards with one final stop.

The SUP Cup Kemer, in Antalya, Türkiye, is scheduled for October 28–31, bringing the Paddle Worldwide competition season to a close.

Before Sabaudia, the 2026 SUP World Ranking Series has taken athletes to Comacchio in Italy, Villach in Austria, Torbay in Great Britain, Agios Nikolaos in Greece and Gig Harbor in Washington, before concluding its Ranking Series competition in Suzhou.

The sequence of events illustrates the increasingly international nature of the SUP calendar, with athletes competing across multiple continents before coming together for the World Championships and the final event of the season in Türkiye.

Introducing the Paddle Worldwide Stand Up Paddle World Series

The 2026 season also marks a transition towards a new structure for Paddle Worldwide’s SUP competitions.

From 2027, the existing SUP World Cups are scheduled to be relaunched as the Paddle Worldwide Stand Up Paddle World Series, creating a dedicated international circuit running alongside the annual World Championships.

Paddle Worldwide says the new structure is intended to provide athletes with a clearer competition pathway while continuing to develop the quality and visibility of its major events.

SUP is also set to feature at the 2030 World Paddle Games, further increasing its role within Paddle Worldwide’s wider event programme.

For the 2027 World Championships, the final decision will determine whether the event heads to the historic waterways of Suzhou, the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington, or another destination from the growing list of potential hosts.

For now, all eyes turn to Sabaudia from October 14–18, where a record field is expected for the 2026 ICF SUP World Championships. And while the World Championships may provide the stage for a potential 2027 host announcement, the 2026 Paddle Worldwide season will have one more chapter to play out at SUP Cup Kemer in Antalya from October 28–31.

For TotalSUP, the 2026 World Championships will also mark another year of close involvement with the event, with TotalSUP serving as the official media partner. I will once again have the pleasure of co-hosting the livestream, marking my sixth consecutive year covering the World Championships from the commentary desk.