Paddle Worldwide Pushes Ahead – 2027 SUP Worlds Already Attract Host Cities

While the SUP community is still digesting the fact that there will be no ISA SUP World Championships in 2026, things look very different on the other side of international SUP racing.

The International Canoe Federation is in the middle of a major transformation under its new name Paddle Worldwide, and SUP appears to have a firm place in the organisation’s future plans. Even before the 2026 World Championships have started in Sabaudia, Italy, several destinations are already interested in hosting the 2027 Paddle Worldwide SUP World Championships.

Two names currently stand out: Suzhou, China, and Burlington, Vermont, USA. Paddle Worldwide confirmed on October 3 that both are among the strongest candidates, while other bids are also under consideration. A decision could come soon, potentially around the World Championships in Sabaudia from October 14–18.

For us at the Stand Up Magazin, this is particularly interesting because it shows two very different approaches to the development of international SUP racing.

From ICF to Paddle Worldwide

The change from ICF to Paddle Worldwide is much more than a new name.

The federation has been working on its “Fit for Future” strategy for several years. The organisational review includes governance, event delivery, development, digital infrastructure and the federation’s overall international positioning. The intention behind the Paddle Worldwide name is also to create an identity that better represents all paddle disciplines rather than primarily canoe and kayak.

For SUP, that distinction is significant.

Stand Up Paddling has always looked slightly out of place underneath the name “International Canoe Federation.” Under Paddle Worldwide, SUP suddenly fits much more naturally into the organisation’s identity.

And the federation is not only changing its name.

From 2027, the existing SUP World Cups are expected to become the Paddle Worldwide Stand Up Paddle World Series, creating a more clearly defined international circuit alongside the annual World Championships. SUP is also included in plans for the 2030 World Paddle Games, a much larger concept designed to bring Paddle Worldwide’s disciplines together with elite competition, mass participation and festival-style events.

Suzhou or Burlington for 2027?

The two leading candidates for the next SUP Worlds could hardly be more different.

Suzhou offers the historic waterways of China’s Jiangsu Province and is already getting an opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities by hosting the final SUP World Cup of the 2026 Ranking Series. The event is expected to attract around 180 athletes.

On the other side of the world, Burlington, Vermont, is proposing a championship on Lake Champlain with the Green Mountains as a backdrop. Its concept focuses strongly on the existing SUP community and creating a festival atmosphere around the racing.

Paddle Worldwide President Thomas Konietzko sees the interest from potential host cities as evidence of SUP’s continued international development.

There is also an interesting strategic detail: earlier in 2026, the Paddle Worldwide SUP Committee reported interest in the 2027 Worlds from China and India, while noting a strategic preference to take the championships outside Europe.

Burlington now apparently gives North America another serious option.

The contrast in international SUP could hardly be bigger

This is where the story becomes particularly interesting for us.

For years, SUP has been caught between two international federations. The ISA has the surfing heritage and the Olympic connection through surfing, something many SUP athletes naturally identify with. The ICF, meanwhile, has often been criticised by parts of the SUP community because Stand Up Paddling did not originate from canoe sport.

But organisations ultimately have to be judged by what they actually do.

In 2026, the contrast has become remarkable.

While the SUP community waited for months for information about an ISA World Championship that ultimately will not take place, Paddle Worldwide is preparing a World Championship in Italy, running an international ranking series across several countries and continents, restructuring its World Cups into a World Series and already discussing competing bids for the 2027 World Championships.

That doesn’t automatically answer the long-running question of who should govern international SUP.

But it certainly gives the SUP community something to think about.

Looking beyond 2027

There is an even bigger picture developing.

Paddle Worldwide has opened bidding processes for international events through 2030 and is developing the World Paddle Games, which are intended to combine its paddle disciplines on one international stage. SUP is explicitly part of that concept.

The federation is therefore not simply planning the next SUP race. It is building an event structure extending several years into the future.

For athletes, event organisers and the industry, planning reliability matters. Athletes need to know what they are training for. National teams need time to budget and organise travel. Sponsors and media need calendars. Host cities need considerably more than a few months to prepare international events.

This is why the race between Suzhou and Burlington is actually a bigger story than it first appears.

At a time when many people in SUP are once again debating the future of international racing and its governing structures, Paddle Worldwide is putting dates, events and long-term concepts on the table.

The name might be new.

The more important question is whether Paddle Worldwide can now turn that strategy into a stable international home for competitive SUP.

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