ISA Working Towards Gender Equality for World Championships

LA JOLLA, California - The International Surfing Association (ISA) has announced that men and women will participate in equal numbers for the first time at the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship, held in Denmark from 1-10 September. Under the guidance of the ISA since the sport was created, the International Federation is continuing its drive to promote gender equality in SUP – reflecting the excellent growth and development of the sport in both men’s and women’s divisions.

As the global authority for the sport, the ISA has also enabled both SUP racers and surfers to contest medals in several Olympic Movement events in the past few years.

At this year’s Championship, the SUP Distance Race, SUP Technical Race and SUP Surfing will feature two men and two women from each national team, with the Paddleboard Technical Race, Paddleboard Distance Race and SUP Sprint Race featuring one athlete in each gender category.

Under the guidance of the ISA, both SUP Surfing and Racing disciplines have grown in popularity and professionalism. The ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship is now the fastest growing event in the federation’s World Championship Series. This latest advancement of women’s SUP highlights the ISA’s daily efforts to further develop the sport around the world with a greater number of elite female and male athletes now qualifying to compete at the highest level.

Casper Steinfath in his home country of Denmark. | Photo: ISA

In its 6th edition, the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship will be held in two locations. The event kicks off in Copenhagen from 1-3 September with the Opening Ceremony, SUP and Paddleboard Distance races and SUP Sprint Races followed by a medals ceremony in the heart of the city. The teams then travel to Vorupør where the SUP Technical Races, SUP Surfing and Team Relay Race will take place from 5-10 September.

The ISA event will be organized by Friends of Cold Hawaii, an association that hosts annual ocean sport championships in Denmark, in collaboration with the Danish Surf and Rafting Federation (DSRF), Sportevent Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen and Copenhagen Watersports – the largest rafting and StandUp Paddle club in Denmark, and will be the first time the competition has travelled to the Scandinavian nation.

The first two years of the ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard were hosted in Peru, before taking place in Nicaragua in 2014, Mexico in 2015 and Fiji in 2016.

ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said:

“Promoting greater opportunities for women and gender equity through our events is critically important to the ISA and to me personally. As the world governing authority for SUP and Paddleboard, disciplines of Surfing, we are constantly working to foster their worldwide development and growth.

“We are excited to take this event to Denmark for the first time, where the enthusiasm for SUP is a testimony to the global growth, development and youth appeal of this key ISA discipline. Following the 2016 Championship in Fiji last November and with Denmark later this year, we can demonstrate the universality of SUP and Paddleboard – which is a result of years of hard work by the ISA and our National Federations in all continents.

2016 ISA Gold Medalist for SUP Surfing, Australia's Shakira Westdorp. | Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

“We plan to build on SUP’s successful inclusion in major multi-sport games, such as the 2019 Pan Am Games and 2019 World Beach Games, and continue our tireless promotion and support of the sport with the goal of eventual inclusion in the Olympic Sports Program. SUP is an intrinsic part of the Surfing world, and we intend to keep it that way.”

About the International Surfing Association

The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men’s and Women’s World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 100 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Karín Sierralta (PER), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL).