ICF SUP World Championships 2025 – Looking at the bigger picture of the State of SUP Racing
Now that the 6th annual ICF SUP World Championships are in the books, it’s time to zoom out and reflect on the bigger picture of the Stand Up Paddle (SUP) sport. Ironically, at the very same time, another watersport community held a major event in Abu Dhabi at the same time: the GWA (Global Wingsports Association) and the SFT (Surf Foil Tour) hosted their World Cup on Fahid Island. Both are privately owned organizations—similar to what the APP Tour once attempted with SUP, or what the WSL does in surfing. Their events give us a clear benchmark for how different organizations present their sports to fans, sponsors, and the broader public.
First Things First: The Racing Was Great
Congratulations to all athletes for their outstanding performances—regardless of discipline. Our focus here is on the ICF event, and we were fortunate to watch 2 out of the 3 race formats live. The Technical Races delivered suspense and excitement, especially with the beach start. The Sprint Races were just as entertaining. Sprint lane racing may seem static to some, but it showcases pure paddling speed with no buoys or obstacles—an impressive athletic display.
Unfortunately, we were unable to watch the Long Distance Race live due to ICF broadcast restrictions, but the replay is now available on YouTube without a paywall.
Where Were All the Elite Athletes?
As a media outlet that has covered SUP Racing for 15 years, we always look forward to seeing the best racers on the same start line. World Championships are supposed to be the event where the world’s top athletes compete. But this year’s ICF Worlds had the lowest elite participation rate since the ICF entered the sport six years ago.
Missing athletes included:
- Esperanza Barreras (current SWR #1)
- Christian Andersen (Denmark)
- Itzel Delgado (Peru)
- Noic Garioud and his brother (France)
- Cecilia Pampinella, expected showdown with Csillag Kocsis
- Tarryn King (South Africa)
- Mélanie Lafenêtre, Iona Rivet (France)
- Ethan Bry (France)
- Holly Pye and Blue Ewer (UK)
- Eri Tenorio & David Leão (Brazil)
- Maddie Leblanc (Canada)
- Arthur Arutkin (France)
The list keeps going the deeper you look and compare to past ICF rankings and the SWR.
Every athlete has personal reasons, and we respect them — but the hard fact remains: The ICF World Championships were not a priority for many of the sport’s big names. That is a red flag.
Was it the location? Was it the lack of prize money? Was it the high cost of travel for a race that offers little finacial return?
It’s worth noting that the ICF used to pay prize money — this year, athletes received vouchers instead. Meanwhile, the GWA / SFT event next door had a $110,000 budget for their athletes. Correction: The GWA announce a budget of this amount the actual price money was $30,000.-
In the beginning the ICF paid out price money, this year they are giving out vouchers that can be redeemed for a prize. Normally federations like the ICF or the ISA dont pay price money. If the ICF is removing prize money with which the lured the athletes in the beginning many might start to reconsider their participation.
Broadcast Quality: What Exactly Were We Watching?
How a sport is shown to the world determines how it grows. Private organizations understand this — broadcast is part of their business model. Federations, on the other hand, often rely on membership fees and have no pressure to invest in professional media production.
The commentary was one of the few bright spots. Mathieu Astier (TotalSUP) brought knowledge, energy, and context. His co-commentator was solid, but having a former elite paddler in the booth — like Michael Booth, who was present sometimes — would have elevated the analysis even more.
The camera work, however, was a major disappointment. Viewers repeatedly complained. Key race moments were missed because cameras focused on spectators or commentators instead of the action. In the men’s Technical Final, the decisive race moment happened off camera — instead, we saw a Japanese fan filming on their phone.
Only one land-based camera was used, pointing into low sun, turning world-class racing into silhouette paddling in the distance. This is not how you showcase a sport, win sponsors, or justify paywall fees.
It is shameful that the ICF is asking the few fans we have to pay in order to watch a live broadcast, and yet they still failed to deliver a proper viewing experience and paywall. The Sprint and Technical Races were streamed completely free, while only the Long Distance race was placed behind a paywall — and even that became free to watch just one day later. That is a major disappointment for the people who paid, especially since we at Stand Up Magazin were able to follow most of the action without spending anything. Let alone would we ever.
YouTube Numbers Tell an Uncomfortable Story
The most-watched video from the ICF Worlds was the Technical Race livestream: 10,000 views.
But that number includes repeat views — not unique viewers. The real number of people watching was much smaller. Even with 345K subscribers, the Planet Canoe channel could not generate traction for SUP.
Our own Sarasota race videos barely broke 1,500 views. This is not just an ICF problem — it is a sport-wide visibility problem. Our Wing and Foil Videos however are popular and draw likes and comments.
Why are SUP enthusiast not on YouTube? Maybe they’re mostly on Facebook, a platform most people younger than 30 barely use anymore.
Watch our Sarasota Longdistance Coverage with footage not even the ICF was able to produce.
Compare that to:
GWA YouTube: More views, fewer subscribers, stronger production, highlight reels, and storytelling
SFT YouTube (only 1 year old!): 183 Subscribers Even E-Foil racing — a niche sport on $12K toys — is getting higher engagement than ICF SUP content relative to the subscriber number.
That should alarm anyone who wants to see SUP grow.
Planet Canoe – A Different Planet
The name fits. The ICF still treats SUP like a canoe discipline instead of a standalone global action sport with its own culture. Even whitewater canoe racing — which could be spectacular on video — is presented in a way that feels slow and outdated. We watched a video and almost fell asleep. Maybe the ICF leaves their planet for a moment and looks around and does a pulse check on how trend sports are presented.
Meanwhile, Whitewater SUP, could be one of the most exciting and photogenic forms of SUP racing, remains widely ignored. Another topic of discussion for another time.
Looking Ahead: What Future Does SUP Have?
We can’t predict the future, but we can see the direction.
The GWA and SFT are producing their sport like it already matters: Athletes are heroes, events feel major, visuals are premium, and the message is clear — “this sport is going somewhere.” Everyday highlight reels underscore the daily action.
The ICF, on the other hand, is producing SUP like a hobby sport. And if the Federation who wants to be the governing body treats it like a hobby, then SUP will stay a hobby — fragmented, underfunded, and unable to grow past the core community.
Not even the passion and professionalism from people like Mr. TotalSUP can overcome a weak production environment. The stage matters — and right now, the ICF is building the wrong kind of stage.
Unless SUP receives substantial financial infusion — whether from private tours or a re-energized federation — the sport risks remaining stuck in amateur mode, divided across tours and federations all claiming to be “THE real world stage.”
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