There's constant chatter about whether or not SUP will make it to the
Olympics one day. There's also constant questions (both positive and
negative) about the ISA World Championship event.

But unbeknownst to many paddlers, the two are very closely connected.

A lot of paddlers in the community have questions and opinions about
how our sport is run, but rarely do we receive any official response.
Well now the man who's trying to make Olympic SUP a reality has
offered to answer any questions/comments/concerns the SUP
community has about the ISA World Championship event and the
quest for Olympic SUP in general.

Fernando Aguerre is the flamboyant President of the International
Surfing Association, which run the World Champs (in Peru the past
two years and coming up in Nicaragua this May) and are pushing for
SUP racing to be in the Olympic Games in the future.

One criticism I've always had of the ISA is that they're not doing
enough outreach to the core paddling community, so After I
interviewed Fernando recently, we agreed to do an open Q&A
about the ISA World Champs, the Olympics and whatever else you wanna know.

You can read the interview here and leave your question on the
article itself (or just post a forum reply below and I'll pass on your comments).

>>> www.SUPracer.com/fernando-aguerre-olympics-stand-up-paddling/

This is a pretty cool opportunity. It's not every day the head of an
International Federation offers to take questions/criticism from fans
of the sport. So take advantage of your chance and ask Fernando
anything you like.

12-6 flat water missile all same brand , size shape & weight all supplied to competitors by the IOC at the event. Still water racing (no surf) can be tied into the rowing course. White water event bring your own inflatable board (only) will fit in nicely with existing white water events. Surfing is too hard , the downwind side could maybe hook up with the sailing again IOC to supply boards. That's my 2 bob's

Piros said..

12-6 flat water missile all same brand , size shape & weight all supplied to competitors by the IOC at the event. Still water racing (no surf) can be tied into the rowing course. White water event bring your own inflatable board (only) will fit in nicely with existing white water events. Surfing is too hard , the downwind side could maybe hook up with the sailing again IOC to supply boards. That's my 2 bob's

If all the boards were the same wouldnt you put your lightest fittest guy out there?

I would think the volume would have to be right to the riders weight.

Just a thought.

HumanCartoon said..

DARTH said..

If all the boards were the same wouldnt you put your lightest fittest guy out there?

Yep, being the olympics and all.

DARTH said..

I would think the volume would have to be right to the riders weight.

Pick just about any olympic sport, the equipment is fairly well standardised (or at least constrained within pretty tight parameters) and the athletes are picked to fit. Unlikely SUP would be run differently.

OK then, will the best paddlers be the same size then??

Whitewater would be exciting but a big old YAWN if they are going to send Sup's up the river like the K's.
Surfing won't work as they will be 5,000 miles from the Olympic city.

PTWoody said..

My question to Mr Aguerre - if it transpires that there is a very strong opportunity for SUP racing in the Olympics on the rowing / kayak racing course through affiliation with the International Canoe Federation, as an avowed supporter of SUP, would Mr Aguerre support such an opportunity or would he block it in order to enforce the control of the sport by the ISA?

Nailed it!!
Can o Worms right there!!
Sparx

HumanCartoon said..

DARTH said..


OK then, will the best paddlers be the same size then??

The IOC favours tightly-specified equipment for equipment sports, which then tends to dictate the size and shape of the athlete that competes on it. So, yes they will be pretty close to the same...at least in terms of weight they won't be too far off each other. Like rowers, gymnasts, skiers, road cyclists, track cyclists, distance runners, pole vaulters, shot putters, etc etc there are many sports that tend towards an optimal morphology at that level. You won't find beasts the size of Laird or Dave paddling SUP at olympic level. They'll look more like Connor, Kai, Jake J...Annabelle Anderson etc

So you can only compete in the SUP olympics if you are x hight and x weight.

I thought people in general come in different shapes and sizes, but if you sup you need to be 70kgs fit as f@#k and 5,10 tall????

I dont think it will wash some how....

DARTH said..

HumanCartoon said..

DARTH said..


OK then, will the best paddlers be the same size then??

The IOC favours tightly-specified equipment for equipment sports, which then tends to dictate the size and shape of the athlete that competes on it. So, yes they will be pretty close to the same...at least in terms of weight they won't be too far off each other. Like rowers, gymnasts, skiers, road cyclists, track cyclists, distance runners, pole vaulters, shot putters, etc etc there are many sports that tend towards an optimal morphology at that level. You won't find beasts the size of Laird or Dave paddling SUP at olympic level. They'll look more like Connor, Kai, Jake J...Annabelle Anderson etc

So you can only compete in the SUP olympics if you are x hight and x weight.

I thought people in general come in different shapes and sizes, but if you sup you need to be 70kgs fit as f@#k and 5,10 tall????

I dont think it will wash some how....

You're still missing the point, Lord Vader. We're talking about the olympic games and what happens there, not the special olympics. And yeah, that's how I reckon it'll go, if it gets there.

The olympics is for the elite athletes look at Ian Thorpe with size 17 feet that's why he is such swimming machine but in saying that plenty of other smaller swimmers have matched his times. For flat water sprint racing on a 12-6 Sup size is of little consequence to the paddler on that board it's all about power and speed.

The olympics is full of standardised equipment like the windsurfers , sailing boats , shot put , discus , pole vault poles , kayaks , canoes , rowing boats , volley ball & badminton net height , ping pong tables , bob sleds , luge and the list goes on. Why should Sup be any different ? There are plenty of short players in basketball at Olympic level they don't ask for different height divisions.

I used to think SUP on a rowing course would be the best idea.. but now I think if Sup gets in the olympics and is run on a laned rowing course it will be boring as hell. the rowers are boring and slow to watch on tv SUPs even slower..

A new sport in the olympics needs to be exciting like the ski and boarder cross we just saw in Russia.
BOP course with turns, waves that keeps it interesting and CARNAGE.
The youth of today are more and more interested in extreme type sports. they want to see exciting close racing and spills and tumbles.
having a technical course in changing conditions is the way to go in my eyes.
and even though a marathon long distance race isn't so exciting to watch a real long slog like 30+ km's would get people interested like the running marathons and swimming distance events as its human nature to push the body to its limits and that in my eyes interests people.
then a white water course because well that is just epic if someone can get down a course with rapids standing up the whole way and be the quickest they derserve a Gold medal!

Piros said..

The olympics is for the elite athletes look at Ian Thorpe with size 17 feet that's why he is such swimming machine but in saying that plenty of other smaller swimmers have matched his times. For flat water sprint racing on a 12-6 Sup size is of little consequence to the paddler on that board it's all about power and speed.

The olympics is full of standardised equipment like the windsurfers , sailing boats , shot put , discus , pole vault poles , kayaks , canoes , rowing boats , volley ball & badminton net height , ping pong tables , bob sleds , luge and the list goes on. Why should Sup be any different ? There are plenty of short players in basketball at Olympic level they don't ask for different height divisions.

IMO most sports performance for all events and events such as kayaking, canoeing and SUP etc ..etc, besides fitness, have a lot to to with the power to weight ratio of the competitor.

It a simple physics equation and you can relate it to the introduction of light weight equipment technology in all sports, carbon fibre SUP's for example. The lighter the craft + competitor combination, the less force required to propel the craft + competitor.

Mechanical advantage also helps and it dependent upon the competitors physical make up, long torso & short legs & vice versa, long/short arms or legs. A 75 kg 6'2" tall paddler may have more mechanical advantage than a 75 kg 5'4" tall paddler, with regards to paddle stroke length, yet he may not be able to apply the same force to the stroke as the vertically challenged competitor. As Human Cartoon mentioned the morphology of the competitor will ultimately be determined by the event. The physical characteristics of a competitor for a 200 m sprint event will most likely be vastly different form that of a 10 km distance paddler.

Weight divisions may be the answer but as HumanCartoon also mentioned, will they go to that trouble or will they just limit it to a craft size like other similar water events.