The ISA just sent out a newsletter about the upcoming event. We still dont know the exact teams but it is great to see that the Garioud brothers are going to be there. We have not see them racing in a long time. As suspected we have now confirmation that Michael Booth will be in Denmark for Australia. Who elses we will see from down under remains to be a question as Australia suffered a similar drop off in SUP Racing like Hawaii or the US.
This is what the ISA sent us:
- The Venue
The WSUPPC returns to Denmark seven years after the Scandinavian nation hosted its first ISA event in 2017. Taking place in the heart of Copenhagen, this year’s edition will feature the SUP and Paddleboard races happening in different locations throughout the city’s picturesque canals and stunning coast. - The Competitors
Over 180 athletes, representing 40 national teams, will be present in Copenhagen, including a massive eight new teams from three different continents. Latvia, Lebanon, Norway, Scotland, Senegal, Slovakia, South Korea, and Thailand will all compete in their first-ever WSUPPC. - Denmark Aims for First Team Medal
Led by Christian Andersen, the 2019 Junior SUP Technical Race Gold Medalist and 2022 SUP Sprint Race Copper Medalist, the host nation of Denmark is fielding its largest team since the event was last held on their shores. The 23-year-old narrowly missed out on a medal in 2023 and will be looking for a strong finish as he competes at home in his seventh WSUPPC.
Andersen will be backed by a solid team that includes Noah Stender, Katrine Bergmann, and Asger Wohler Smidt, who have each previously competed, along with first-time ISA competitors Christopher Jeppesen, Emma Freja Pedersen, Peter Bach, and Mai Laurberg, as they seek to improve upon their previous best finish of seventh in the teams and earn Denmark its first-ever ISA team medal.
- Returning Champions
The competition intensity promises to be at an all-time high, with multiple gold medalists returning, including Christian Andersen (DEN), Claudio Nika (ITA), Duna Gordillo (ESP), and Michael Booth (AUS), along with defending 2023 World Champions Cecilia Pampinella (ITA), David Buil (ESP), Esperanza Barreras (ESP), Judit Verges (ESP), Max Torres (PUR), Mélanie Lafenetre (FRA), Noic Garioud (FRA), Vaic Garioud (FRA), and Yurika Horibe (JPN). - The Disciplines
The World Championship features seven medal-awarding disciplines, including:
- Men’s and Women’s SUP Technical Race
- Boy’s and Girl’s Under-18 SUP Technical Race
- Men’s and Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race
- Men’s and Women’s SUP Distance Race
- Men’s and Women’s Paddleboard Distance Race
- Men’s and Women’s SUP Sprint Race
- Team Relay Race
- The Races
The World Championship will feature four separate race courses for the Technical Race, Distance Race, Sprint Race, and Team Relay Race. The courses are designed to challenge the world-class athletes with various conditions while displaying the beauty of Copenhagen. - Social
The ISA will be posting live updates, photos, and videos from the competition on social media. Follow along on Instagram @ISASUPok. - Where to Watch
The live webcast will be streamed on www.isasurf.org from September 16–22. Visit the site for results, team rosters, photos, videos, and news pertaining to the competition. - The Schedule
- September 16 – Parade of Nations & Opening Ceremony, 3pm (City Venue)
- September 17-18 – Technical Racing (Beach Venue)
- September 19 – Team Relay (Beach Venue)
- September 20 – Lay day to move to Harbor
- September 21 – Copenhagen SUP Mass Participation Event, Long Distance Racing (City Venue)
- September 22 – Sprint Racing, Closing & Awards Ceremonies (City Venue)
- The ISA and Denmark
The ISA and Denmark have a long and rich history together, starting with one of the most decorated champions in SUP history, Casper Steinfath, who won an extraordinary 6 ISA World Championships. Steinfath won his first World Title in Peru in 2013 as a 19-year-old, defeating the legendary waterman Jamie Mitchell from Australia in an amazing duel to the finish through the surf. That race produced one of the most iconic photos in SUP racing history, with Steinfath and Mitchell grasping hands in the final wave before the beach finish. Steinfath went on to become one of the youngest-ever Vice Presidents of the ISA, stepping down in 2022 and replaced by Jakob Faerch, also from Denmark, who is currently serving as an ISA Executive Committee Member. Faerch is the President of the Danish Surf and SUP Federation and the driving force behind the ISA World Championships returning to Denmark.