THE RIGHT TO A World Championship The (ICF) future of SUP Racing
Despite predictions to the contrary, and efforts by some to denigrate and even sabotage the event, in October 2019, the International Canoe Federation’s first stand up paddling world championships finished with record viewing figures, record country and athlete numbers and record-breaking winning times in Qingdao, China. The question many are now asking – where to next?
"HAVING EXPERIENCED THE CALIBER OF EVENT THE ICF CAN PUT ON, AND HAVING SEEN THE RESPONSE ONLINE, THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT AMONG THE ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS THAT THIS WAS THE FUTURE."
The ICF has big plans for the future and has already chosen Hungary as the venue for the next world championships – but more on that later. From the start, the ICF set out to make the 2019 SUP world championships about the athletes. The federation is no stranger to hosting major international events, and national federations had been holding stand up paddle races around the world for many years. That combined know-how helped plan a
