Record Number of SUP Races World Wide

The SUP World Ranking just published interesting numbers and we start with the original statement:

“SUP Competition News for the Community!

Our 2025 event calendar is LIVE, featuring an astounding 237 competitions worldwide! We’ve crunched the numbers and spotlighted the top 11 countries hosting the most events this year. (Note: We only evaluate competitions with a minimum of 40 participants or featuring competitors from at least 7 different countries.“

(Note: Since this statement there has been a 238th race: SUP4Life, Dec. 14th, Belgium)

Here is where most of the action is:

These Are Staggering Numbers

From a watersports media perspective, particularly one focused on SUP, prioritizing race coverage is challenging. A calendar year has 52 weeks, and with 238 races, we are looking at an average of 4.57 races per weekend. How do we decide which ones to cover?

For example, this weekend (March 14–16), there are five SUP events:

• The Kukulkan Open in Yucatán, Mexico
• The Aloha Spirit Festival event in Brazil
• The Inzájar SUP Race in Spain
• The Treasure Coast Paddle in the U.S.
• The Florence Paddle Games in Italy

How do we determine the relevance of a race? Well… we rely on the SWR to give us that insight after the race. For instance, we just found out that the Florence Paddle Games were canceled last night due to weather conditions. We only discovered this because we were reviewing all the events for this weekend. Researching all five races took significant time—each event deserves its own story. However, the information is often in a foreign language, only available via a Facebook page, or difficult to find. The time investment for each race quickly adds up to several hours, and we simply don’t have the resources for that.

Can’t See the Trees for the Forest

It’s great for the sport that there’s such a strong interest in organizing races. In fact with numbers like these, it’s hard to believe that the industry struggles to sell products. Looking at the SWR calendar, we see just how fragmented and localized the sport is. The calendar includes nearly every SUP race worldwide, but filtering out the most significant ones is difficult.

Imagine being an ambitious tennis player, and the annual calendar lists every local tournament. How would you know where to compete against the best? Which tournaments should you enter to advance your career?

Quantity does not equal quality. We acknowledge that every race on this calendar has tremendous local value. These events build community enthusiasm for the sport. But from a global perspective, they drown in a sea of other races. With luck, an event may receive a star or two from the SWR, ensuring some recognition. Otherwise, news about these races gets lost in the ever-moving social media feed.

The reality is that within this vast collection of races, there is no structure—no clear career path for ambitious SUP athletes.

At this point, we can’t see the trees for the forest anymore. A few races stand out during the year, most of them in May. That’s why we consolidated six key races into the Super SUP EURO Spring Tour.

The Business of SUP Racing

The strongest and most financially capable athletes will travel to high-profile races, drawn by prize money. From an economic standpoint, a more condensed schedule of high-value races would be more lucrative for athletes, allowing them to string events together, earn podium placements, cover travel costs, and still take home some extra cash.

The highest concentration of important races falls into May. We expect not only the most participants but also the highest-quality competition at these six events. After that, there are many local or regional races, but nothing of global importance until the ISA and ICF World Championships.

How Can a Race Organizer Stand Out?

With so many races, it has become increasingly difficult—and expensive—for organizers to attract both quantity and quality competitors. Most elite racers will show up if there is a financial incentive. Festival-style events are key to success and high participation. To stand out:

• Make your race more than just a race—create a social experience.
• Involve industry partners for gear demos and expert advice.
• Develop a solid marketing plan so your event doesn’t get lost in the noise.
• Position your race as the must-attend event of the weekend and region.

The Discussion About Structure

There is an ongoing debate about structure and inclusion. Some believe that creating designated Pro Races will exclude hobby paddlers. This is complete nonsense—hobby paddlers will always be welcome. However, if we want the sport to grow and gain professional recognition, we need to provide elite athletes with a structured, platform while also creating a pathway for ambitious athletes to rise.

For example, in the Super SUP EURO Spring Tour, all six races are open festival-style events where elites and amateurs compete side by side. But what if, in order to qualify as an “elite,” paddlers had to meet a certain race time cutoff? Those who meet the cut would race again in a final round for bigger prize money. These six races could then form a Tour, where the overall winner at the end earns a bonus.

This system wouldn’t exclude hobby paddlers. Instead, it would offer elite racers an incentive to compete, earn money, and follow a clear path to success and hobby paddlers will see if they measure up. Additionally, smaller regional races could join the system, allowing athletes to qualify for “The Cut” and advance to the final of next big event. This way, regional races become an integral part of a larger structure. Kind of like the ICF is already doing.

And for those in the 50+ category, this system could be adjusted with age-appropriate race-time cutoffs, ensuring inclusion for all while creating excitement around a common goal.

Conclusion

Right now, SUP sport is not moving toward a more structured future. At the Stand Up Magazin, we will establish our own structure by filtering relevant races and athletes based on SWR data. However, unlike in 2024, we will not rely on on all the data. Instead, we will start with the first 4-star race and use a points average system rather than total points. This way, rankings won’t be skewed by race volume throughout the year.

The SUP world needs structure. If we want the sport to grow professionally, we must create a system that recognizes elite athletes while keeping the doors open for all.