Similarities between Stand Up Paddling an Pickleball

Seniors are taking over

“We all know that pickleball is for everyone. It’s inclusive, social and engaging. And the health benefits are obvious – from cardiovascular, mental health, and personal fitness, pickleball is a great way to breathe new health and vitality into your body. “

This was the opening statement by the PPA Tour in May 2024, announcing a Senior Pickleball Tour. Yes, Pickleball and Stand Up Paddling are two entirely different sports, but if you replace the word “Pickleball” in the above statement with “Stand Up Paddling,” you arrive at the same conclusion: sport is good for you.

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Many Euorpean readers might have not heard of Pickleball, this video will explain it:

Why are we talking about Pickleball on Stand Up Magazin?

It appears that, when it comes to age groups and senior participation, these two sports share some commonalities. We were inspired to take this comparative approach by a recent interview with Gerd Weisner on totalSUP. Gerd is an outspoken advocate for senior SUP inclusion and a competitive Master Class participant. Much like Pickleball today, SUP was regarded as the fastest-growing sport just a few years ago. Pickleball developed entirely from its recreational roots and is predominantly played by seniors. If you visit the courts, you’ll find the average age well into the 60s. Tennis facilities are bursting with middle- to upper-aged Pickleball players—much to the dismay of tennis players.

In this article, we aim to explore the similarities between these two seemingly unrelated sports that share one significant overlap: strong participation from older adults. A key takeaway from the interview on totalSUP is the demand for a 60+ category in SUP. This raises an important question:

Is Stand Up Paddling a competitive sport for seniors?

Circling back to Gerd Weisner, it seems he’s onto something. By advocating for a 60+ category, he envisions the future for two of the sport’s strongest age groups: the 55–59 and 50–54 divisions. As these age groups move up, and assuming we don’t lose participants, the senior class could experience significant growth. The 60+ category, and perhaps even the 70+ category, will emerge as vibrant and competitive. The message is clear: Seniors are not done yet and will likely want their own divisions as they progress through their 60s and beyond.

What Gerd is suggesting is already happening in Pickleball. Here’s a statement from one of the sport’s key voices regarding the new senior tour:

“Pickleball is a sport for all ages, and we are thrilled to partner with Humana to highlight and level up the experience for our most seasoned players,” said Dave Fleming, senior pro and the PPA Tour’s Lead Commentator. “Humana and the PPA Tour are changing the game and making the sport even more enjoyable for seniors, which we didn’t even think was possible!”

Evidently the sport of Pickleball reached a tipping point that sponsors saw a niche in the market and created their own tour solely catering to the 50+ crowd.

Further from the PPA:

“There were 570 registrants for the Humana Champions Showcase series over the course of the PPA Tour’s two events in Arizona and Austin. Pickleball’s senior community continues to defy conventional stereotypes about athletic decline with age and transform pre- and post-retirement lifestyle expectations. They are an inspiration to all of us to get moving, follow your passions, and build a life worth living.“

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Who came to the largest SUP Event of 2024?

Looking at our graphic above, and assuming the ICF participation demographic is representative of the rest of the world, we see a strong demand for competitive stand-up paddling from the age of 45 and up. Much like in Pickleball, the SUP industry might want to consider whether it’s worthwhile to cater more actively to this demographic. This group has the financial means and the time to travel. As Gerd Weisner puts it: “Kids are out of school, and these are the two decades where you can focus on yourself again when you’re in your 50s and 60s. Why not embrace it?”

The Pyramid in the Long Run

Right now, the SUP sport and its senior participants are in good hands. But what happens in a few decades? To answer this, we need to examine the bottom half of the participation pyramid:

It’s a good sign that the 15–19 age group is the strongest of all, though not as strong as the combined 45–59 group. Nonetheless, the high participation among those under 20 reflects strong parental involvement and youth development in the sport. The big question is: what happens when promising juniors age out of their class and reach their 20s?

This is the age when major life decisions are made. Young people either go to university or join the workforce, which often leaves them with less time to train or compete at a high level. Unfortunately, there isn’t yet a robust support system for professional or semi-professional careers in SUP. This was evident in Sarasota and is reflected in the weak participation numbers for the 20–39 age bracket—arguably the athletic prime. This is also the group that makes up the sport’s elite competitors.

Looking at this “pyramid” and projecting 20 years ahead, we can only speculate about what will happen. Will Gerd Weisner, at 76, still be paddling as part of the strongest 75–79 age group? Will today’s 19-year-olds become 39-year-old coaches, commentators, or industry leaders, reflecting on rich careers in the sport? What about the young elite? Many of them haven’t been born yet—or are just now getting their diapers changed.

Comparing SUP to Pickleball

In this regard, Pickleball is far ahead of SUP. The list of open-ranked players in Pickleball runs 500 names deep, with about 285 players earning points. The top players collectively make over $1 million annually through prize money and endorsements. This kind of support system provides young hopefuls with real incentives to excel in the sport and reach the top.

Meanwhile, on the Senior Tour, the focus is on having a good time, earning modest prize money, collecting trophies, and gaining bragging rights. Why are they not earning the same like the elite? Because the spectators are most interested in watching elite-level competition, not senior-level play. Sponsors, in turn, invest where the audience is.

Conclusion

Pickleball has found a system that allows seniors to compete at the highest level within their age groups, while maintaining a separate elite tour that anyone can join (including seniors). This dual structure provides sponsors with a solid platform to showcase their brands to a growing audience of active seniors and aspiring young athletes. Brands are pouring money into the market, and festival-style events are flourishing across the United States and Canada.

Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) is estimated to have over 1 million accounts in 158 countries. These are numbers that SUP can only dream of—though even reaching half that would be an incredible achievement. Until then, the SUP community must focus on attracting young people, creating a support system for ambitious elite paddlers, and catering to competitive recreational senior paddlers like Gerd Weisner. As Gerd said in his interview with totalSUP: