10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ISA WORLD STANDUP PADDLE AND PADDLEBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted April 25th, 2014 - News Posted for ISA News.

The Third Annual ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship will take place May 3 to May 11, 2014 on Lake Nicaragua in Granada for the SUP and Paddleboard Racing, and on the waves of La Boquita for SUP Surfing.

In this third edition of the ISA World Championship, the best men and women from around the world will gather in Nicaragua to determine the individual Gold Medalists in SUP Racing, Paddleboarding, SUP Surfing, and the coveted Club Waikiki-Peru World Team Champion Trophy.

Denmark’s Casper Steinfath, 2013 SUP Technical Race Gold Medalist, will compete in Nicaragua to defend his title. Photo: ISA/Michael Tweddle

The 10 things you need to know about the 2014 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship are:

1. The Event
The ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC) will gather the world’s best SUP Racers, SUP Surfers, and Paddleboarders to compete in a National Teams competition.

It is an “Olympic Style” event – teams compete for medals and the honor of representing their countries. The excellence of competition reaches its highest level as each participant defends his or her flag.

2. The Venue
For the first time in an ISA WSUPPC event, the competition is taking place in two different locations. SUP Surfing will take place in the ocean at La Boquita on the Pacific coast of Central Nicaragua, while the SUP and Paddleboard flatwater Racing portion will be held on the northwest area of Lake Nicaragua in Granada, which is the oldest colonial city of the country.

Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America and the 19th largest in the world.

SUP Surfing Women’s Gold Medalist, Nicole Pacelli from Brazil, will return once again to the competition to defend her World Champion title. Photo: ISA/Michael Tweddle.

3. The Competition
The ISA WSUPPC is an annual competition that will visits Nicaragua for the first time, and will feature defending Gold Medalists and up-and-coming athletes from around the world.

4. The History
The ISA is Surfing’s World Governing Authority as recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1995. The ISA first held the World SUP and Paddleboard Championship in January 2012 idue to the increasing popularity and growing talent level participating in these disciplines on a global level.

During last year’s ISA WSUPPC that took place in Lima, Peru, the Australian National SUP and Paddlebord Team earned 9 out of the 12 possible Gold Medals, awarding them the overall World Team Championship and the Club Waikiki-Peru Team Trophy for the second consecutive year.

5. The Mission
With the goal of developing all wave riding sports around the world, the ISA has returned to Nicaragua for the third year in a row for the World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, produced by Liv Nicaragua.

This country hosted the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship in 2012 at Playa Colorado and the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in 2013, which took place at Playa Jiquiliste.

6. The Numbers
Over 200 SUPers and Paddleboarders from 30 countries will compete in the event. It will feature the following divisions with the maximum number of competitors per country in parenthesis:

SUP Surfing: Men (2), and Woman (1)

SUP Racing Technical: Men (2), and Woman (1)

SUP Racing Distance: Men (2), and Woman (1)

Paddleboard Racing Technical and Distance: Men (2), and Woman (1)

Paddle Team Relay (4 athletes per team)
SUP Racing Man (1) and Woman (1)
Paddleboard Man (1) and Woman (1)

7. The Schedule
The ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship Opening Ceremony will officially take place on May 3rd, 2014 at Granada, Nicaragua, with the Parade of the Nations and the Sands of the World Ceremony.

During the Sands of the World Ceremony, the participating countries will carry sand from their local beach and pour it into a glass container on stage symbolizing the peaceful gathering of nations through the love of surfing.

Full Schedule Below:

Day	Location	Schedule
Wednesday, April 30th	Granada	9:00am – 5:00pm On-Site Check-In
Thursday, May 1st	Granada	9:00am – 5:00pm On-Site Check-In
Friday, May 2nd	Granada	9:00am – 3:00pm On-Site Check-In 10:00am Official Press Conference 7:00pm Managers Meeting
Saturday, May 3rd	Granada	Opening Ceremony
Sunday, May 4th	La Boquita	8:00am to 5:20pm SUP Surfing Competition – Men and Women
Monday, May 5th	La Boquita	8:00am to 4:10pm SUP Surfing Competition – Men and Women
Tuesday, May 6th	La Boquita	8:00am to 4:00pm: SUP Surfing Competition – Men and Women
Wednesday, May 7th	Granada	Travel from La Boquita to Granada 7:00pm-Managers Meeting (Racing) in Granada
Thursday, May 8th	Granada	Heat 1 Semifinal Tech Race Prone Women Heat 1 Semifinal Tech Race Prone Men Heat 2 Semifinal Tech Race Prone Women Heat 2 Semifinal Tech Race Prone Men Heat 1 Semifinal Tech Race SUP Women Heat 1 Semifinal Tech Race SUP Men Heat 1 Semifinal Tech Race SUP Women Heat 2 Semifinal Tech Race SUP Men Heat 1 Round 1 Relay Heat 2 Round 1 Relay Heat 3 Round 1 Relay
Friday, May 9th	Granada	Lay Day 5:00pm- Managers Meeting (Racing) in Granada
Saturday, May 10th	Granada	Distance Race- SUP and Prone Paddleboard, Men and Women
Sunday, May 11th	Granada	Final Paddleboard Technical Race Women Final Paddleboard Technical Race Men Final SUP Technical Race Women Final SUP Technical Race Men Final Relay Closing Ceremony
Please note: the schedule below is subject to change at the ISA’s discretion depending on the conditions at the event site.

8. The Expectation
Traditional SUP and Paddleboarding powerhouses like Australia, France, and Brazil have confirmed their participation in the event.

In addition, new countries will have a presence in the Championship including Latvia.

9. The Support
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of the President’s Office, the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute (INTUR), the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee, the Mayor of Granada, and the Mayor of Diriamba. The hosts have been working very hard in preparing a warm welcome for all the delegations to the beautiful and culturally rich region of Granada and La Boquita, Nicaragua.

10. Past Champions

2013 ISA WSUPPC Gold Medalists:

Overall Team Champion – Australia

Men’s SUP Surfing – Sean Poynter (USA), Gold Medal and Hector Velarde E. Men’s SUP Surfing Perpetual Trophy

Women’s SUP Surfing – Nicole Pacelli (BRA), Gold Medal and Hector Velarde E. Women’s SUP Surfing Perpetual Trophy

Men’s SUP Technical Race – Casper Steinfath (DEN), Gold Medal

Women’s SUP Technical Race – Angela Jackson (AUS), Gold Medal

Team Relay – Australia

Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race – Lincoln Dews (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race – Jordan Mercer (AUS), Gold Medal

Men’s SUP Long Distance Race – Jamie Mitchell (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s SUP Long Distance Race – Angela Jackson (AUS), Gold Medal

Men’s Paddleboard Distance Race – Brad Gaul (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s Paddleboard Distance Race – Jordan Merce (AUS), Gold Medal

2012 ISA WSUPPC Gold Medalists:

Overall Team Champion – Australia

Men’s SUP Surfing – Antoine Delpero (FRA), Gold Medal and Hector Velarde E. Men’s SUP Surfing Perpetual Trophy

Women’s SUP Surfing – Emmy Merrill (USA), Gold Medal and Hector Velarde E. Women’s SUP Surfing Perpetual Trophy

Men’s SUP Technical Race – Travis Grant (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s SUP Technical Race – Brandi Baksic (USA), Gold Medal

Team Relay – Australia

Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race – Brad Gaul (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race – Jordan Mercer (AUS), Gold Medal

Men’s SUP Long Distance Race – Jamie Mitchell (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s SUP Long Distance Race – Brandi Baksic (AUS), Gold Medal

Men’s Paddleboard Distance Race – Brad Gaul (AUS), Gold Medal

Women’s Paddleboard Distance Race – Jordan Merce (AUS), Gold Medal