The International Surfing Association (ISA) has confirmed today that Vorupør and Copenhagen will co-host the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship in Denmark on 1-10 September 2017 in an innovative format that will see the SUP Surfing and Technical Race events in Vorupør and the Distance Racing events right in the heart of Copenhagen.
Vorupør, situated on the northwest coast of the country in an area known as "Cold Hawaii", was confirmed as the SUP Surfing and Technical Race location thanks to its excellent wave conditions, its transport infrastructure and its accommodation capacity. The SUP Racing events will be held on the iconic canals of the Danish capital right in front the Copenhagen Opera House.
The confirmation of the locations and dates follows the ISA announcement during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games of Denmark as the first European host of the ISA SUP Worlds event.
The ISA championship, which will run from 1-10 September 2017, moves to Denmark on the back of the hugely successful 2016 edition in Fiji – highlighting the true universality of the sport and its ability to adapt to different conditions, climates and bodies of water. The ISA has run the SUP Championship on both ocean and fresh water conditions since the inception of the event in 2012.
Denmark has 7500km of stunning coastline which can be reached in a two hour drive from anywhere in the country. Cold Hawaii’s excellent conditions and the accessibility of the coast have given the sport significant momentum in recent years and SUP has become a popular discipline for many across the country.
SUP is a core discipline of the ISA and recreationally it is one of the world’s fastest growing watersports. SUP was part of the ISA’s submission for Olympic inclusion at Tokyo 2020 and ensuring the popular discipline becomes part of the Olympic Programme in future remains a key part of the ISA’s strategy.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said
"The global development and promotion of SUP is a big priority for the ISA and we are excited to continue to build this event and discipline with the help of our Danish partners. Vorupør and Copenhagen are fantastic locations for 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship and we are confident that the excellent conditions will provide the world’s best SUP Surfers and Racers the perfect stage to showcase their amazing skills.
"The ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship continues to grow year on year and this is testament to the ISA’s efforts to nurture and develop this important discipline. We are thrilled to be heading to Denmark and Europe for the first time after hosting such a fantastic 2016 edition in Fiji in November this year. We will continue to lead the global promotion of SUP as we aim for the inclusion of the discipline in future editions of the Olympic Games."
Triple SUP World Champion, ISA Vice President and Chairman of the ISA Athletes’ Commission, Casper Steinfath, who is from the Cold Hawaii region of Denmark, said:
"Vorupør is a very special place on the Cold Hawaii coastline that will provide thrilling SUP Surfing and Technical Racing action on the waves and a very warm welcome from the locals. And of course, Copenhagen will provide epic conditions for the SUP Distance Racers. SUP Surfing and Racing continue to grow in Denmark and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to host an ISA World Championship which will bring renewed attention to our sport. I’m sure this will be a super fun event. I can’t wait to represent my country in my hometown and to welcome the best SUP athetes in the world to my home."
For more information, please contact:
Robert Fawdon, VERO Communications
Email: rfawdon@verocom.co.uk
Tel: +44 [0]7769 216 649
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