SUP Race Courses have no standards. Do we need one?

[@vincentfondeviole3304]

I raced at the1992 Olympics in kayak slalom and I can share my experience on courses standardisation: this was a prerequisite in order to come back to the olympic agenda after 20 years off. From the most wild and beautiful rivers we were usually racing on, it quickly became only artificial rivers with regulated flow, changing rooms, shorter tracks, and easy access. So was really good for medias but a pity for our sport. So to make a parallel with sup racing, yes we need standardization if we want to apply to the Olympic prg but on a fancy format, on the sea with waves and buoys which make our sport spectacular and fun. I am training on flat water 99% of my time and I know that inland paddlers would be penalyzed. But same for surfing and they were at the Paris 2024 and will be il LA again. Kayak cross was introduced at the Paris 2024 as the way to show a different picture of our sport. Personnally I am not a fan but I can tell you that everybody was talking about the cross which was messy and random but...slalom was perceived in a totally different way although frenchies did really well. So depends on the objective bearing in mind that we will have many people paddling mostly flat water that will always have a demand for lake and river races...

[@StandUpMagazin]

Thank you very much for watching and this interesting input. I think I will repost this on the discussion on Facebook.

[@t.pedersen9321]

Good discussion🤙 And sorry for being the one with the long comment - again. The exciting thing about Tour de France is: What stages do we get this year. Is the Tour Malet or Les Alp d’huez there? How many flat stages do the riders get? Is it for the sprinters or the climbers? The same in Formula one - every race track around the world has different but exciting aspects. SUP is water based and waters around the world are different - even the flat ICF waters. As long as the riders know the premise before entering an event the organizers should be free to make exciting courses. Otherwise we wouldn’t see ISA in Puerto Rico one year, then France and now Copenhagen. Three very different spots. How sad would it be if SUP was only found on canoe stadiums which are often man made. The same about the heavy sea. How sad would it be to see only big wave competitions for the select few growing up on Hawaii or by the big oceans? As a spectator I love the diversity and I hope most of the paddlers do to. If not - luckily they are free to choose. What I would wish for is the organizations learning from its mistakes. For instance: Stop making sprint courses where some of the lanes has obvious disadvantages! Stop making Tech courses where the person who wins the sprint to buoy one has 90% chance to win the race.

[@StandUpMagazin]

Thanks for watching Great input. Stoked on the opinions. Most people discussing right now on Facebook. Should post there too and see what they say. 🤙🏽

[@supbocadelrio]

Great statement 👍🏽

[@StandUpMagazin]

🙏🏼Thank you please help share the word. 🤙🏽

[@GetUpStandUpKappeln]

Race... About the course: We do a sport in nature, so we also live with the conditions that nature gives us. If you set a fixed course, no matter which spot in the world it is the same, you don't do justice to the different conditions. And you could also hold all the events in the same place. Different spots would just be different backdrops. In addition: We don't yet have "the one" course that promises excitement. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Fun is also a factor. There are serious racers, then there are hobby racers and maybe you can win something like fun racers. Where participation and fun come before winning. You can't put all of that into standardized races. A course should be left up to the race management/organizers. Based on the conditions, the participants, the intention of the event. Good drivers can handle everything somehow. But many want to have fun. Maybe we lose sight of the fun with such topics. Stand up paddling is a fun sport. And that's how the Evens should be.

[@StandUpMagazin]

Thanks for watching and support. Totally agree. It’s not easy to find the right standard when we not even sure if we need one… IXF worlds might shine some light on the topic this week.

[@jefffski]

SUP racing should have an element of unpredictability in regard to water conditions. Unfortunately, technical and long distance courses with the possibility of surf waves will disadvantage athletes who train inland but those conditions are very exciting to watch. I would not want to see SUP becoming just another flat water sport. Buoy turns are also very exciting and demand that only the very best paddlers succeed. As far as standards go, have a look at alpine ski racing where the FIS has very strict standards about course length, number and type of turns at gates and distance from gate to gate. That is a sport where each course is very different and those differences and weather both play a big part in the outcomes. But the atandards keep things fair and safe as possible.

[@StandUpMagazin]

Thanks. Great comparison. Was actually thinking about ski racing too. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel just apply successful concepts from other sports. 🤙🏽