ISA welcomes Championship’s development and the growth of SUP in emerging territories during 2017 SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark
The International Surfing Association (ISA) has today hailed the unique Surfing and StandUp Paddle locations Denmark has to offer following site visits to both Copenhagen and Vorupør, co-hosts of the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship. The ISA welcomed the preparation and progress of the Championship whilst attending the 2017 SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark.
The ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship has become one of the International Federation’s fastest growing competitions, with Denmark expected to see record participation in terms of number of countries and athletes participating. This year’s event, which will be hosted across the two cities and take place for the first time in Europe, will showcase the discipline’s top athletes competing in stunning and iconic Danish locations.
The event will kick off with SUP and Paddleboard Distance and Sprint Racing events held on the historic canals of the Danish capital Copenhagen, right in front of iconic venues including the Opera House and Royal Theater. The championship will then move to Vorupør, situated in the northwest coast of the country in an area known as “Cold Hawaii”, celebrated for its excellent wave conditions and unique surf & SUP culture. Cold Hawaii will be the site of the SUP Surfing and SUP and Paddleboard Technical Races straight off Vorupør’s popular and picturesque beaches.
Denmark has 7,500km of stunning coastline which can be reached in a two-hour drive from anywhere in the country. Cold Hawaii’s excellent conditions and the accessibility of the coast have given the sport significant momentum in recent years and SUP has become a popular discipline for many across the country.
As the sole federation responsible for the development of StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard, the ISA has been the leader and driver of the sport’s growth. By bringing one of its flagship events to Denmark, the ISA continues to expand the reach and development of SUP and surfing. With Surfing having been added to the Olympic program for Tokyo 2020, the ISA hopes to use its new status to elevate SUP even further, promoting grass roots development and spreading the sport into new markets.
Ahead of the Championships, which will run from 1-10 September 2017, the ISA delegation at SportAccord includes ISA President Fernando Aguerre and ISA Executive Director Robert Fasulo as well as Danish 3x World SUP Racing Champion and ISA Vice President, Casper Steinfath, who will help promote both SUP and Surfing. Steinfath will join Aguerre in taking to Danish waters to showcase the high performance thrill of both SUP Racing and Surfing.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said:
“The global development of SUP is a huge priority for the ISA. This is an excellent opportunity to continue to build up the 2017 SUP World Championship in a well known and popular Surfing location in northern Europe. We are very confident that both Vorupør and Copenhagen will provide the world’s best SUP Surfers and Racers the perfect stage to showcase their amazing skills.
“The ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship continues to grow year on year and this is testament to the ISA’s efforts to nurture and develop this key discipline. We will continue to lead the global promotion of SUP as we aim for the inclusion of the discipline in future editions of the Olympic Games.”
Triple SUP Racing World Champion, ISA Vice President and Chairman of the ISA Athletes’ Commission, Casper Steinfath, who is from the Cold Hawaii region of Denmark, said:
“Cold Hawaii is a special place in the heart of Denmark for Surfing and StandUp Paddle. This region has cultivated some the country’s top athletes and I cannot wait to welcome the World Championships to our shores. Visiting SportAccord today in my home nation and being able to demonstrate the sport that I love and what Denmark has to offer, is a wonderful moment for me.
“Over recent years, SUP has greatly advanced in professionalism and popularity and much of that success is a result of the work conducted by the ISA. Following Surfing’s Olympic inclusion, the ISA has been able to offer so much to SUP, organizing the World Championships, helping to fund development schemes and instructor courses, and bringing a voice to our discipline that can be heard by more people globally.”
