Where’s the Full Tour for 2025?
The Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) is gearing up for its first event of 2025, the India Paddle Festival, set to take place in Mangalore from March 7-9. However, with the APP having hosted only two events in 2024 and still no full 2025 tour schedule, questions remain about the future of the organization’s racing calendar. Will the APP be able to deliver a full-fledged tour, or is the sport’s premier global tour struggling to regain its footing?
India Paddle Festival Returns for a Second Year
After a successful debut in 2024, the India Paddle Festival is back, promising another action-packed weekend of SUP racing. Last year, the event saw breakthrough performances from Fernando Perez Serra, Christian Anderson, and Antonio Morillo, while Espe Barreras dominated the women’s division. The festival is more than just a race—it provides an immersive cultural experience in the stunning coastal city of Mangalore, blending India’s rich traditions with world-class competition.
Competitively, the festival stands out for its hybrid race conditions. The long-distance race takes athletes from the open ocean, through the surf, and into a winding river before bringing them back to the challenging surf zone for a dramatic finish. Meanwhile, the surf sprint racing delivers an intense, spectator-friendly format, ideal for close-up race action.
Entries for the event are open, and participants can coordinate travel and logistics through the India Paddle Festival’s contact page (India Paddle Festival).
A recap video from the 2024 edition is also available, offering a glimpse into the event’s atmosphere, competitive racing, and breathtaking scenery.
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The Unanswered Question: What’s Next for the APP?
Despite the excitement surrounding the India Paddle Festival, the bigger question looms: What’s happening with the rest of the APP Tour?
In 2024, the APP only managed to hold two events—the Busan SUP Open in South Korea and the Gran Canaria Pro-Am in December. The long-promised full tour schedule for 2025 has yet to be released, leaving both athletes and fans in the dark. With the India Paddle Festival now confirmed as an APP event, speculation is growing about whether it is a one-off race or the start of a more structured tour.
The SUP community has been waiting for clarity, and with only a few weeks until the India Paddle Festival, the APP will need to address these concerns soon. Will we see a fully-fledged APP World Tour in 2025, or is the series at risk of fading into obscurity?
For now, all eyes are on Mangalore as the racing season officially kicks off—but the future of the APP remains uncertain.