Anywhere in the entire world!
Have you ever heard the phrase “surf sports?” Oh I’m not talking about the classic shop names like Huntington Surf & Sport or Laguna Surf & Sport, I’m talking about “surf sports.” Like, sports that are surf related, I suppose.
I hadn’t until this morning when a press release from the International Surfing Association dawned my inbox.
You certainly remember the ISA from such recent hits as “getting surfing into the Olympics” and “getting surfing into the Olympics” but you may not be aware of the heavy push to include stand-up paddleboarding under the banner. There is a actually a very big fight between the surfing association and the kayak association for the SUPs. I’ve written about it before but apparently my words carry zero weight and the ISA is doubling down, trying to secure the SUPs ahead of Olympic qualifiers with the SUPers declaring their love for surfers.
And now let us read a statement from ISA president Fernando Aguerre:
“We are proud that the world’s best SUP athletes continue to support us as the sole governing body of Stand Up Paddle, and we are excited to see the passion for the sport in London this weekend.
Ultimately, it is the athletes who are the heart of the sport and we are delighted they continue to recognize the work we have done to develop SUP around the world. For more than a decade we have worked for their benefit, and I am proud of the great partnership we have with the APP to enable SUP to flourish for many more years.
The APP World Tour has grown into a truly incredible event series and I am excited by what the future holds for it. By taking the sport of SUP to the likes of London and New York, we are showing that surf sports can take place anywhere in the world, and are continuing to engage new, inner city fans and open up new markets. This is an exciting time for Stand Up Paddle and the ISA is proud to have worked so hard, and for so long, to grow the sport to this point.”
Did you catch that? Surf sports? Surf sports can take place anywhere in the world and are continuing to engage new inner city fans? Hmmmmmm. Surf sports.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Hmmmmm.
Can you think of other surf sports you’d like to see now that this pandora’s box is open? Is skateboarding a surf sport?
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
Makes you have legit empathy for
boogie boarders after all these years…
SUPping banned in parts of Japan. Strictly enforced, signs and all!
keyboard surfing…
Golden Showers?
Just do it already North Korea. We’ve hit a new low…
Fernando paddles Mongo!
Surf:
noun
1. the mass or line of foam formed by waves breaking on a seashore or reef.
Am I missing something here?
Yes, you silly cunt.
What you’re missing is the ISA and its hijacking of the aloha spirit !
You’re missing sup, windsurfing, nut dragging, skimmers, foiling, kneeboarding, anything to do with a board anywhere out in the surf.
hmm anything I missed ? Nope, I got it covered.
oh wait, surfers. Oh well, they’re just a pack of no hoper cunts anyway. Fuck them.
What about ironing? That uses a board. And there’s a laundry detergent called ‘surf’, so… uh.
Jebus please stop SUPing flourishing.
Freestyle Foil boarding – world champs of just fucking off out to sea!!
All this talk of APP, ISA and SUP as sport is giving me ADHD
HIV
And what about creating a circuit / track, with straight, shorts and longs, and curves, promoting overtakings, duelings, contacts… literally a race…
Final speed records … best lap, start / finish line … helmets with visors and with sponsorships
Like an F1 tracks… but it… still be surf
Instead of Ferraris, Mclarens, Renaults, Mercedes … CI, Sharp Eye, DHD, Pyzel
Look at these poisoned racing machines
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
They did the wave for about ten minutes straight last time I was at Fenway. Guess that means the Red Sox are 1st in the AL East on the surf sport diamond!
If only there was a way to SUP that wave. Longer waves than Surf Ranch.
Should we claim all aspects of dealing with rashes as a surf sport?
I recently trimmed my pubes and my scrotum is burning from today’s session.
I respect this much more than the non-surfing sport of SUP.
Running barefoot across hot sand while carrying a surfboard. This could even be done in a desert.
Definitely an athletic skill!
While not tripping over your leash, which you put on too early.
Fishing, smoking and talking shit.
I can’t wait for freestyle flatwater SUP pros! Shove-its and 5-0’s and shit. Switch paddle to nollie sex change. Mullen might come out of retirement for this!
A switch kickflip tail slide down a 15 stair set on a SUP will be real impressive.
THANKS LAIRD