European SUP League launched - Stand Up Magazin

European Surfing Association Launches New Continental SUP Race Circuit: The European SUP League (ESL)

TotalSUP broke the story on social media and the ESL launched a website with a similar statement:

In a major development for stand-up paddle (SUP) racing in Europe, the European Surfing Federation (ESF), in collaboration with national surfing federations, has officially announced the launch of a new international competition series: the European SUP League (ESL). Set to debut in 2025, the ESL aims to unite top SUP events under one recognized banner, creating a structured and sustainable race circuit across the continent.

The 2025 ESL season will roll out in two phases, with the first leg taking place in Spain and featuring three major events:

April 26–27: Battle for Hércules, Benalmádena (Málaga)
May 1–4: Festival Triple ESE, Melilla
May 16–18: World SUP Festival Costa Blanca, Santa Pola (Alicante)

The second phase of the ESL is scheduled for September–October and will include races in Portugal and Italy. Full details for Phase 2 are expected to be announced in the coming months.

According to the European Surfing Association, the creation of the ESL marks a significant milestone for the sport. The circuit is designed to:

Connect athletes, organizers, and federations under a unified system
Provide more opportunities for athletes to develop and gain exposure
Implement strong sustainability measures across all events
Establish an officially recognized and respected SUP racing circuit in Europe

“The ESL lays the foundation for a unified and internationally recognized SUP circuit, giving athletes the platform they deserve to compete and shine at the highest level,” the ESA said in an official statement.

So far the statement, what can we read into this?

Our first reaction to the initial news was: Don’t we already have the EURO TOUR that does all of the above? Then we looked deeper.

The ESL is being rolled out in two phases. First, they are bringing together three existing events in Spain—one of which is also a EURO TOUR event—under a single umbrella. Phase two is planned for later in the year but is not yet ready to be launched.

So, in a sense, the product isn’t quite finished, but the decision was made to go public anyway, leaving open questions about the second half of the season. We are not so sure if this is good PR.

Setting a high bar

The mission statement – We take a look one by one:

Connect athletes, organizers, and federations under a unified system

This is nothing new, and has been done by SUPracer in the past and then the SUP World Rankings took over. The EURO TOUR is doing the same thing, so did the APP but failed, and the ICF doing the same thing with their World Cup System. Further we are wondering what other federations they are talking about?

Provide more opportunities for athletes to develop and gain exposure

What does that mean? What are the opportunities? Where and how are athletes gaining more exposure? Does developing mean they are getting coaches? This is a very broad and confusing statement.

Implement strong sustainability measures across all events

We are interpreting this as implementing environmental friendly practices. This sound like a very good idea and is clear to understand.

Establish an officially recognized and respected SUP racing circuit in Europe

I takes a bit more than utilizing 3 existing events, leave the door open for the 2nd half of the season to establish a recognized SUP Tour. Particularly on the back ground of the EURO TOUR having done just that for a decade. We have not found anything on their (Spanish only) website that hints for more.

Lastly: “The ESL lays the foundation for a unified and internationally recognized SUP circuit, giving athletes the platform they deserve to compete and shine at the highest level.”

In our opinion a very bold statement. While we embrace the goal to have a recognized, unified SUP Tour for athletes to compete at the highest level, the ESL has a long way to go with this. As fragmented the sport is right now, this is a very tall order to full fill. The ESL would have been well advised to set the bar for them a bit lower and then constantly grow rather than speaking in such large words.

We did however find this on the ESL Website and as it appears they will have a nice looking ranking table and athlete tracking system, this is something we are looking forward to see in action.

MAIN FEATURES: TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FOR ATHLETE TRACKING

We will implement technology to enhance athlete monitoring and offer personalized broadcasts throughout the circuit.

Progressive Implementation: Ongoing technological improvements

Athlete Tracking: Advanced tracking systems

Personalized Broadcasts: Greater visibility for athletes and increased fan engagement.

(Source:ESL)

Conclusion

It’s encouraging to see that another organization recognizes the value of SUP and is stepping up in an effort to make an impact. However, bold statements and grand announcements like this sound all too familiar. We’ve seen initiatives come and go like waves on the beach.

Why has the European Surfing Federation (ESF) been silent for all these years? And what is their endgame and where the exact value for athletes?

What athletes truly need are events with prize money, reliable sponsorship, and a clear path for progression. Many have promised just that—few have delivered.

As it stands, this ESL initiative is little more than a big announcement, built on existing events. There’s no prize money involved, and the three events mentioned were already announced and already have their athletes. The only “new” elements are the website and yet another ranking system to follow—not very innovative.

We can all agree that the sport is highly fragmented right now. Some welcome that, others don’t. The fact is, this is yet another fragment added to the competitive SUP landscape. Whether it becomes a valuable contribution or just another passing trend remains to be seen.

To show case how easy this is, we did announced our own Super SUP EURO SPRING Tour.