Essay and opinion by publisher: Mike Jucker
While there’s no doubt that SUP as a competitive hobby sport is thriving, one group is being left behind: young athletes with bigger dreams.
These are athletes who see SUP as more than just a pastime — they see the potential for a sports career, the hope of earning a living, and maybe even the dream of becoming an Olympian one day.
A recent news release from the ISA, confirming that longboarding will not be included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, has cast fresh doubt on SUP’s Olympic future — at least in the near to mid-term.
We covered this development and shared the news across our social media channels for many years.
This is a quick history lesson:
Watch this podcast with Connor Baxter about the CAS decision 4 years ago. The Olympic responsibility was handed to the ISA away from the ICF. It was a moment when the hopes for Olympic inclusion were extremely high. The community waited a very long time for this decision.
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One year ago it became clear: SUP won’t be included in LA 2028
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This is not the moment to dig in the past, but a moment to take step back and look at the sobering reality: The Olympic inclusion of SUP is in the far and not the near future.
It was the statement, following the recent news from the ISA, by a father of a very talented girl with big ambitions, that made me think. It was Miklos Kocsis the dad of Csillag Kocsis who said the following:
“These news made me very disappointed. If sup won’t be an Olympic sport soon, financing won’t be solved at all. How can I keep my girl Csillag Kocsis in the sport ? She trains with the promise she becomes an Olympic gold medalist… just like the other top paddlers under 25. What have we got to tell them ? Sup will be a hobby for people over 40 in a couple of years, which is great but don’t give the perspective of a bright future. Sorry guys ! We can’t keep traveling and competing around the world without any financing. Personally I am tired to put my money into it. Our sponsors help a lot, but if stays as a hobby ( train professionally, earn nothing ) my girl will turn to something else.”
This statement really resonated with me. fI’m a father of teenagers in a similar age group, and we’re a family of competitive surfers. Even though surfing is now an Olympic sport, the financial hurdles remain high. However, we’ve seen how Olympic inclusion has helped kids become more professional and how it has fostered the growth of a support system. Without financial backing, youth sports can become prohibitively expensive.
There was another statement from the dad of Cameron Tripney:
“So if ISA a no go for Sup inclusion, what about pursuit by ICF? “
My answer:
“They cant, Olympic Court of Arbitration did rule against ICF, its all in the hands of ISA.”
Response: “So we doomed then. Killed the sport. My son will leave the sport possibly as it’s so obvious that only Olympics as goals will add value.”
The key message that resonated and saddened me the most was: “My son will leave the sport…” “…my girl will turn to something else.” This is a reality that many don’t dare to speak out loud: We are loosing young talented athletes if we don’t find a path forward.
Another active voice in this conversation is Paco Freens.
His son Donato has made a big name for himself over the years, and Paco is now calling on the SUP community to organize itself. Such a move could create autonomy from the feuding federations and potentially send a strong message to sponsors.
Efforts like this have been made in the past — and it’s something I’ve been advocating for a long time: SUP for SUP, where the athletes call the shots. But it never materialized. It’s a topic that deserves an essay of its own.
I see growing frustration among parents about the sport’s lack of movement toward true professionalism.
Yes, we have big events, SUP festivals with strong participation, and even a EURO TOUR with prize money — and all of that is great. But what’s missing is a structured pathway for athletes to grow within.
For a young and thriving athlete like Csillag, there’s no clear endgame, no ultimate goal, no climax — and certainly no compensation. Claiming an ISA, ICF, or whatever world title is an impressive achievement, but the reality is that it doesn’t move you forward financially or land you a major sponsorship deal.
In fact, you end up spending money with very little chance of return on investment. It’s a hobby where you spend money — but don’t make any.
Speaking of the ISA, surfing offers a great example of how a fringe sport can move toward a more professional environment.
Surfing has long been on the edge of mainstream sports — and in many ways, it still is. However, its close ties to other board sports and its strong lifestyle appeal have made it attractive to the fashion industry, which has long been a major financial backer of surf athletes.
Well-known surfers have earned millions through sponsorships from brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Nike, and others. In recent years, surfing has also caught the attention of energy drink companies and even car brands. Clothing, automotive, and beverage industries — all mainstream — have helped transport the surfing lifestyle to a much broader audience. This is something the SUP sport still completely lacks.
Surfing wasn’t always like this.
In fact, it likely wouldn’t be where it is today without billionaire investor Robert Ziff. Long before Olympic inclusion or major streaming deals, Ziff invested $25 million into a company called ZoSea in 2012, shortly after it acquired the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals). By 2014/15, the ASP was rebranded as the World Surf League (WSL).
In 2017, Ziff reportedly invested another $25 million — a figure revealed in a recent lawsuit. According to ZIPPIA, the WSL reached peak revenue of $33 million in 2023. The organization currently employs 342 people, with a revenue-per-employee ratio of $96,491.
Since the WSL remains privately held under Ziff’s control, concrete financial data is hard to come by. However, word on the street continues to suggest that the league is far from profitable.
Even with Olympic inclusion and efforts like the Apple TV+ partnership for the behind-the-scenes series “Make or Break”, the sport has struggled to break into the mainstream. The show was canceled after just two seasons.
Why am I telling you this story?
As of now, the only viable path forward I see for our sport is one similar to that of surfing: an investment from an ultra-wealthy individual who can buy into the sport and replicate what the WSL has done.
That means putting athletes under contract, paying them, and organizing a tour with professional-level media production.
Robert Ziff invested in surfing as a passion project — with the possibility of a return on investment far off in the future — but he was willing to take the risk. And if you’re worth several billion dollars, what’s $25 million to buy a sport? Maybe it simply becomes a personal hobby or legacy project.
What makes me slightly pessimistic is that the APP (formerly the Waterman League) already tried to follow a similar path. Tristan Boxford began this journey more than 15 years ago, at a time when SUP was still focused on ocean racing and surfing. The Waterman League was eventually rebranded as the APP, and a very wealthy Japanese financier stepped in to support the tour.
The media production was phenomenal, and the promises made to athletes were sky-high. But after covering too many dramas and sagas, I witnessed firsthand the APP’s gradual downfall — and how it lost the trust of an entire industry.
Where are we going from here?
I think about SUP the same way I think about surfing for my kids.
They’re having an amazing experience, traveling to select contests and forming strong friendships with other surfers. They’re growing up with a beautiful sport, get to travel and learn to respect the nature.
As a dad, I’m fully aware that none of my kids will go on a world tour or compete in the Olympics. As a family, we understand that there’s more to life than dedicating all our energy toward chasing a sports career. Besides, we simply don’t have the finances to fund extensive travel and coaching. And even if we did, there’s no guarantee of a return on that investment.
If we were in it just to make money, we’d probably be better off choosing sports like golf, tennis, football, baseball, soccer, basketball and or many others. But we’re not. We enjoy our family adventures through surfing, and that’s what matters.
I hope I haven’t crushed anyone’s dreams or hopes — that’s not my intention. But I do think it’s time for a clear-eyed reality check. Even if SUP does become an Olympic sport, funding is often slow and limited. Other sports still take priority. My kids are on the Swiss Surf Team, and even in a wealthy country like Switzerland, and even with surfing in the Olympics, we’re far from being showered with financial support.
Let’s just enjoy SUP for what it is right now: a fantastic way to stay in shape, connect with nature, and be part of an inspiring and tight-knit community.
Maybe one day, a billionaire will read Stand Up Magazin and want to hear my ideas and dreams — the ones I dream of if I had Mr. Ziff’s kind of money.