2023 APP WORLD TOUR BUSAN SUP OPEN

Date: Oct 7-9^th 2023

Location: Busan Gwangalli SUPrise Beach

The World Class event that brings together SUP Pro athletes, spectators and SUP enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate the sport of stand-up paddle boarding is returning to Korea!

After the success of the 2022 Busan SUP Open, the first international SUP competition held in Korea which is a true benchmark in the history of the sport, the KAPP brings back the APP WORLD TOUR BUSAN SUP OPEN event in 2023!

With SUP races and events such as the opening ceremony, beach yoga, SUP dog, drone show, beach party and more, this 3 days’ SUP festival is packed with activities providing the opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves or just to experience and have fun!

We interviewed David Leitao the International Operations Manager at the KAPP, to find out more about this SUP mega event in Korea:

Aloha David, thank you very much for your time. We all saw the pictures from the Busan Open 2022 and were very impressed about the show you are able to put on. Let’s talk a bit about the SUP culture in South Korea. Can you tell us more about where the enthusiasm in your country for SUP is coming from?

Hello Mike!

When comparing with other countries in Europe or even with closer ones like Japan, you can see that SUP is more developed than in Korea, but we believe that the sport and community will grow and we are working towards that goal.  

The 2022 Busan SUP Open was the first international SUP competition organized in Korea. Before that, nationals could only participate in local competitions or had to go abroad to participate in international ones. Having the KAPP organizing this first world class event in Korea has been a major step in the development of the sport, the growth of the community and the increase of the sport’s exposure. 

Organizing such an event comes with great challenges, on top of which we had to deal with the Covid restrictions that were still implemented and an unexpected typhoon that swept away the event site just few days before the start of the competition.

Despite the challenges and difficult conditions, the event has been a great success and we keep receiving very positive feedbacks from the athletes, partners and sponsors. We are very pleased everyone enjoyed that first edition and seeing that our hard work is being recognized motivates us even more to keep pushing to develop SUP in Korea!

People were really excited with the first edition of the Busan SUP Open and we are expecting that more will join this year!

We see many pictures with SUP races for all levels of ability, just like in Europe a festival style SUP Event seems to be the key for participation and excitement. Korea moves into the SUP spot light once a year can you tell our readers more on what is going on in the SUP Sport in Korea apart from the Busan Open?

Our plan is to organize two main international SUP events a year and besides the competition side, the KAPP is working on developing all the different disciplines and aspects of the sport such as athletes training, SUP level and trainer certifications, SUP related tour programs, SUP Fitness, Sup Surfing and more!

The APP has been present in Asia for a while now. Can you tell us the history of KAPP? What is KAPP and how did it get started?

The company that supports the KAPP, named Dreamscorp, has a more than 30 years in the sport field industry in Korea, and expanding towards water sports has been a natural path.

The KAPP (Korean Association of Paddlesurf Professionals) has been created as a partnership with the APP to develop SUP and host international competitions in Korea under the APP World Tour banner. 

Our vision is to become a leading force for the sport across Asia, to not only set a new standard for international and national events in the region, but also develop solid foundations for the sport’s future development at every level. Our visions are perfectly aligned and we are excited for what the future holds in Korea.

As mentioned in the beginning, you guys put on quite show for the athletes and spectators, what can we look forward to this year?

SUP is an accessible sport and as such, we want to reflect that in the competitions and events we organize so that there is something for everyone, whether they want to participate, experience or just enjoy the show!

The entire festival we are preparing revolves around SUP and its lifestyle. It will start with a full opening ceremony show before moving to the racing part that will include technical sprint, distance and team racing for all levels from kids, amateurs to pros with a total prize money being around 27,700 euros.

Besides the races, the KAPP is giving the opportunity to participate in SUP Clinics that will be conducted by the 2022 men’s World Champion Connor Baxter and 2022 Busan SUP Open Champion Rai Taguchi, so that you can refine your technique and get ready before the start of the competition.   

Among other activities, lucky draws, a dedicated drone show on Saturday night, a beach party on Sunday night and even a SUP dog event on Monday (national holiday) will be part of the festival.

Who will be the big athletes to look for in October?

Travelling in 2022 was still very difficult due to restrictions and we are expecting more athletes to participate this year, with Connor Baxter, Rai Taguchi, Daniel Hasulyo and Korean athletes Choi Ji Won and Han Sung Ho having confirmed their participation.

For athletes that have not decided yet if they should make the trip. What are they missing out of if they don’t show up this year?

Last year edition of the Busan SUP Open gives a good idea of what the event looks like and the feedback from the athletes that were here speaks for itself but besides participating in one of the biggest SUP events filled with races for every level and activities open to everyone, it is the opportunity to discover Korea, its culture, food, people and the stunning Gwangalli beach and its iconic backdrop bridge!

The event runs over 4 days from October 6^th to the 9^th with the racing competition taking place on the 7^th and 8^th. Registrations will stay open via the KAPP website (kappworldtour.com) until September 24^th and for those that have questions, the KAPP team and myself will be happy to help. See you in Busan!

Thank you very much for your time. We look forward to continue our coverage of the Busan Open.

Thank you Mike and hope to see you in Korea anytime!      

Its a pleasure, coming to your event some time would be a real treat.

PROS

300m Technical Sprint race

The 300m Technical Sprint race is a tournament based race split between Men and Women. This race is open to qualified athletes only.

10km Distance race

The 10km Distance race is a mass start race split between Men and Women. This race is open to qualified athletes only.

Qualification Round

For the non-qualified athletes that are ready to take the challenge to another level, this qualification round provides the opportunity to compete in the main event with the Pros.

Athletes that will qualify in the qualification round of the Technical Sprint race will be able to compete with the Pros in the Sprint and Distance races, and try to get ranked to get the prize money! 

AMATEURS

300m Technical Sprint race

The 300m Technical Sprint race is a tournament based race split between Men and Women.

This race is opened to participants born in 2004 and before.

The starting position for the first round will be randomly selected via a draw and positions for next rounds will be determined by previous round rankings. 

6km Distance race

The 6km Distance race is mass start race split between Men and Women.

This race is opened to participants born in2004 and before.

U18

300m Technical Sprint race

The 300m Technical Sprint race is a tournament based race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2005 and 2006.

The starting position for the first round will be randomly selected via a draw and positions for next rounds will be determined by previous round rankings. 

3km Distance race

The 3km Distance race is mass start race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2005 and 2006.

U16

300m Technical Sprint race

The 300m Technical Sprint race is a tournament based race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2007 and 2008.

The starting position for the first round will be randomly selected via a draw and positions for next rounds will be determined by previous round rankings. 

3km Distance race

The 3km Distance race is mass start race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2007 and 2008.

U14

300m Technical Sprint race

The 300m Technical Sprint race is a tournament based race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2009 and after.

The starting position for the first round will be randomly selected via a draw and positions for next rounds will be determined by previous round rankings. 

3km Distance race

The 3km Distance race is mass start race split between Boys and Girls.

This race is opened to participants born in 2009 and after.

OPEN

100m Team Relay Race

Teams will compete against each other on a 100m relay course.

Teams will be composed of a mix of APP WORLD TOUR pro athletes, adults and kids. To ensure fairness, teams will be created randomly via a draw. Once registrations closed, the number of teams and their composition will be announced. (ex. Teams of 6 persons composed of 1 Pro APP athlete, 2 adults and 3 kids)

OPEN

1KM Timing Course

On this 1km course, you will have the opportunity to challenge yourself, assess your performance and get your official timing. This course is the perfect choice for SUP first timers or those not ready yet to compete. This activity is open to everyone, regardless of age, gender or skills. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Make sure you are registering in the appropriate category. In case wrong information is provided or the registration does not match the requirements, the participation will be cancelled.
• Registrations will close on September 24^th, 2023. Registrations can be modified or cancelled until that date and once registrations are closed, modifications or cancellations will not be possible.
• Participants can choose to race in the Sprint race only, Distance race only or both.
• Participants racing in both Sprint and Distance races can choose only one category. It is not possible to participate in races from two different categories (ex: 300m Technical Sprint race in the Amateur category and 3km Distance race in the U18 category).
• The minimum number of participants in each category is 8 persons. Under that minimum number, the category will be merged with the upper one (ex: The U14 category had 6 participants registered. Thus, participants of this category will compete together with the U16 participants).

PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded based on the overall result from both Sprint and Distance results.

Pros

25,000 euros split as follow

LUCKY DRAW

A lucky draw event will be held during the Busan SUP Open. Those who register and participate in the competition will receive a coupon to enter the lucky draw.

Whether you want to watch International Pro athletes competing for the world title, challenge yourself or discover SUP, the programs and events offer the opportunity to everyone, regardless of age, gender or experience, to participate in this international SUP festival!