The 2nd annual Australian Flatwater SUPFest was held in Sydney this weekend, with competitors from across the country (and a few from overseas) racing down the Olympic rowing/kayak course at Penrith. The 200m, 1,000m and 5,000m SUP races were held as a sideshow during Australian Canoeing’s National Sprint Titles event… → READ MORE
This page is a summary of our most recent posts about Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Olympics?
Casper Steinfath Looks Ahead To Season 2015 (The Worlds, The Olympics And More)
Great interview with everyone’s favourite viking, Casper Steinfath, looking ahead to the 2015 season and beyond.
Some interesting comments about the ISA, the Olympics and unity among the athletes. I believe this last point in particular is hugely critical right now. The sport entering a new phase of growth that could bring a lot of excitement and potential but also the risk of splintering groups taking the sport in differing directions. → READ MORE
Laird Hamilton: SUP Racing Will Be An Olympic Sport; “It’s A No Brainer.”
There’s been quite a bit of chatter about SUP in the Olympics over the past twelve months. Some see it as a great idea, others think it doesn’t belong, while many believe it’s simply inevitable if the sport keeps growing the way it is. One of those is the guy who pretty much invented modern stand up, Laird Hamilton.
Laird doesn’t actually do any SUP racing himself (probably not enough adrenaline in it for him), however he’s very active in promoting the sport in general, particularly on the SUP surfing side of things. And during a recent promo tour of Australia, where he was touting his new range of Laird StandUp boards, Laird offered his views on the future of SUP. That includes his take on SUP as an Olympic sport… → READ MORE
The ISA (And Casper Steinfath) Pitch SUP To The Olympic Movement In Turkey
Remember how we mentioned that the ISA was off to Turkey, Casper Steinfath in tow, to promote SUP to the Olympic world at some big sports conference? Well that happened yesterday.
Along with International Surfing Association President Fernando Aguerre, Casper showed the gathered Olympic dignitaries what stand up paddling actually is with a brief but enthusiastic demonstration during the SportAccord convention. Granted it was held in a luxury hotel pool, which is a long way from the Ka’iwi Channel or the beach at Dana Point, but I’m sure the novelty value alone would have made everyone in attendance stop and take notice. And no doubt that was the main point of the whole exercise: Spread some basic awareness to those in power. → READ MORE
An Anonymous Response To The Board Restrictions Debate
So last week the SUP Athletes Association said we should have more board restrictions. And the internet subsequently went into melt down… Many are for the idea of limits on board design, however many are also against it. And some of those who are against it are REALLY against it. Judging by some of the responses, it was almost as if the Association’s President, Chase Kosterlitz, had walked into an NRA meeting and said “Hey guys, how ’bout some gun restrictions?”
But now that we’ve all had a few days to cool off, the Mullet has come through with a timely guest post that seems to have a pretty good take on the whole affair. → READ MORE
With Casper Steinfath As Ambassador, The ISA Continues Push For Olympic SUP At Major Sporting Conference
Remember that big article we posted last week about Stand Up Paddling in the Olympics? And about how the International Surfing Association (ISA) was doing a lot of work behind the scenes to push for surfing and SUP racing to be in the Games one day?
Well, here’s a specific example… Early next month, reigning ISA Gold Medalist and modern-day viking, Casper Steinfath, will join ISA President Fernando Aguerre in Turkey, where they’ll be pushing the cause of surfing and SUP racing to the head honchos of the Olympic movement at the big SportAccord conference.
But what exactly is SportAccord? And why should fans of SUP racing even care? → READ MORE
Meet The Man Who Wants To Make SUP An Olympic Sport (And Then Ask Him A Question…)
How long have you been working to get surfing in the Olympics?
“Well… my whole life actually.”
And with that comment Fernando Aguerre, the International Surfing Association (ISA)’s charismatic President and promoter-in-chief, recounts the full story of his childhood in Argentina and the early influence of surfing on he and his brother.
At age 11, after five years of bodyboarding on plywood bellyboards, the Aguerre boys discovered and were able to try one of the very first surfboards in Argentina. It was ugly, heavy and didn’t have a particularly good shape, but they convinced their dad to allow them to sell one of their bicycles so they could buy the board. They were instantly hooked. → READ MORE
Mondays With The Mad Scientist: SUP Racing @ The Olympics…?! [Part 2]
Last week Jim Terrell from Quickblade talked about Stand Up Paddling in the Olympics – if/why/when/how it should be there… but now we want to know exactly what SUP racing will look like if it ever makes the Olympics.
So sit back and enjoy Jim Terrell’s SUP Racing In The Olympics: Part 2. → READ MORE
Mondays With The Mad Scientist: SUP Racing @ The Olympics…?! [Part 1]
On this week’s “Mondays With The Mad Scientist!” you can find out what Quickblade’s Jim Terrell thinks about Stand Up Paddling in the Olympics. Should SUP racing ever make the Olympic Games? If it did, what would it look like? And when would it get there?!
Click through to watch… → READ MORE
Golden Day For SUP @ The London Olympics
Stand Up Paddle racing may not be an Olympic sport (not yet anyway…) but it was still a golden day for SUP at the London Olympics.
Krisztina Fazekas Zur has just won GOLD in the Women’s K4 500m @ the London Olympics. Zur, who represents Hungary but is based in California, is a well-known SUP racer. She won several races earlier this year and is part of the elite Team Quickblade. Her husband and coach Rami Zur (an Olympian himself) is also a well known SUP racer. → READ MORE
SUP Athlete Krisztina Zur Racing At The Olympics
Stand Up Paddle racer Krisztina Fazekas Zur is competing at the London Olympics this week. The Hungarian (who spends much of the year in California) is representing her home nation in the Women’s K-4 500m event.
Hungary is one of the favourites for the gold; the women’s team won silver at the past two Olympic Games before taking the World Championship last year. In this morning’s heats, K-Zur helped her team to victory, meaning they get to skip the semis and go straight into Wednesday’s final. → READ MORE
[RESULTS] Eric Terrien: King Of The Olympic Canal
Eric Terrien made a clean sweep at the “King & Princess of the Olympic Canal” race this weekend.
The event was held at the Canal Olimpic de Catalunya, near Barcelona, Spain. The canal stretches 1.2km and was built to host the sprint canoe events at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Click through for results and pics → READ MORE
Eric Terrien Trains Olympic-Style in Spain
Check out this cool video from Europe’s #1 paddler, Eric Terrien.
Eric recently had the pleasure of training on the exclusive Canal Olimpic de Catalunya, which was built to host the kayak sprint races at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
It’s cool to see SUP being accepted into an exclusive venue like this one, especially with all the talk of our sport pushing for a spot in the Olympic Games one day. Click through to watch the video… → READ MORE
