The 2022 ISA World Stand Up Paddle and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC) is gathering the greatest SUP and Paddleboard athletes from around the globe in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the World Title championships in SUP racing and SUP surfing! The event will run October 28 – November 6, 2022.
10 Things to Know about ISA Worlds in Puerto Rico
VENUE:
The pristine and gorgeous coastline of San Juan in Puerto Rico will be in high backdrop for SUP and Paddleboard Racing. These events are being staged in the heart of the famous Laguna del Condado and Bahia de San Juan, an exquisite location for the excitement of racing. In addition, SUP Surfing will take place in “La 8”, a well-known local break along the coast of San Juan.
PAN AM QUALIFIERS:
The 2022 WSUPPC will qualify four athletes directly to compete in the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games. In an added motivation for top level performance, the top ranking 4 men and 4 women from the Americas in both SUP Surfing and the SUP Tech Race will earn a spot in Santiago 2023. This is worth winning for!
WHERE TO WATCH:
The live webcast will be streamed on www.isasurf.org from October 28 - November 6.
Stay tuned to: isasurf.org for LIVE ACTION, results, team rosters, photos, videos, and news pertaining to the competition throughout the week ahead.
Welcome Back to ISA World Competition Paddlers!
FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 2019:
The competition promises to be intense after a 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the mix, multiple gold medal winners include Tituoan Puyo (FRA), Lina Augaitis (CAN), Candice Appleby (USA) and Daniel Hasulyo (HUN) will return. Also, defending 2019 gold medalists Benoit Carpentier (FRA), Esperanza Barreras (ESP), Julen Marticorena (FRA), Hunter Flueger (USA), Christian Andersen (DEN) and Claudio Nika (ITA)n will be present to fight for victory.
MAX TORRES, PUERTO RICO'S RISING STAR: WILL HE CAPTURE PR'S FIRST ISA MEDAL?
After historically making the SUP Surfing Semifinals in 2019, local Puerto Rico SUP star Max Torres will eyeing the top of the podium to win his first ever ISA medal on home turf. As well as being the island’s top SUP surfer, Max is also known for encouraging other local youth to race and surf on the island. He is well respected and well loved by all. Best of luck to you, Max Torres!
ISA World Championship Disciplines
The World Championship features eight medal-awarding disciplines, including:
● Men’s and Women’s SUP Technical Race
● Boy’s and Girl’s Under-18 SUP Technical Race
● Men’s and Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race
● Men’s and Women’s SUP Distance Race
● Women’s and Women’s Paddleboard Distance Race
● Men’s and Women’s SUP Sprint Race
● Team Relay Race
● Men’s and Women’s SUP Surfing
ISA Courses and Criteria for Judging
SUP SURFING:
Competitors will be judged in the same way as shortboard surfing but considering the use of the paddle. Judges will consider higher scores when the paddle is used to multiply the force and acceleration on turns.
SUP SPRINTS:
Paddlers will race from the beach to a buoy 100 meters off shore and return to the beach. Historically, the first across the line wins.
TECHNICAL RACES:
Athletes start from the beach and navigate out through the waves around buoys. A total of 3 laps (5km) testing their waveriding and surf knowledge. There are Prone Paddleboard and Standup Paddle disciplines.
LONG DISTANCE RACES:
Essentially the marathon race of SUP, the course here is over 18km around old San Juan. This will take the leaders about an hour to complete in open ocean. There are Prone Paddleboard and Standup Paddle disciplines.
THE RACES:
The World Championship will feature four separate race courses for the Technical Race, Distance Race, Sprint Race and Team Relay Race. The courses are designed to challenge the world-class athletes with various conditions while displaying the beauty of the coast of Puerto Rico.
ISA GLOBAL LEADERSHIP of SUP
Under the leaderships of Fernando Aguerre, the ISA has recently presented SUP Technical Racing to the IOC and LA28 Organizing Committee for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Sports Program. Achievements such as inclusion of SUP in the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima and the upcoming 2023 Pan American Games, under the ISA’s leadership, add momentum to the ISA’s push for inclusion in LA28 and beyond.
ISA and PUERTO RICO
The ISA is excited to host this championship in such an incredible location that is steeped in surfing and SUP culture. The choice of Puerto Rico to host this event reinforces the region’s reputation as a world-class destination that celebrates the sport’s SUP and surfing heritage.
Stay tuned for more updates on our Facebook and Instagram channels! The action starts with the first heats of SPRINT RACING at 12PM on Saturday!