SUP Associations, Pro Tours and Clubs: From Local Races to the World Championships

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Tuesday night at the lake: a dozen boards line up at a buoy, someone yells “go,” and the local race series is on, with a cooler of drinks and a lot of laughing at the finish. A few levels up, the same sport runs world championships, a pro tour and national teams. SUP is young, and its organizations can be confusing: two world federations, a pro tour, and different US bodies for racing, surfing and instruction. This page lays out the SUP associations, events and clubs, from your local club to the world stage, as of the 2026 season.

For the big picture of the sport, start at our paddleboarding hub.

Two world federations, and why

Stand-up paddling grew out of surfing but is paddled on every kind of water, so both the canoe world and the surf world claimed it. For years the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and the International Surfing Association (ISA) disagreed over who should govern it. In August 2020 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the ISA governs SUP at Olympic level, but it turned down the ISA’s request to be the only world governing body, so both federations can keep running SUP events worldwide. SUP is not on the Olympic program yet.

Paddle Worldwide (formerly the ICF)

The ICF, the world body for canoe and kayak sport, relaunched under the name Paddle Worldwide in July 2026, shifting the focus from the craft to the act of paddling. It runs the ICF SUP World Championships and a SUP World Ranking Series. As of the 2026 season:

• World Championships: October 14 to 18, 2026 in Sabaudia, Italy, moved from Sicily after Cyclone Harry damaged the original venue. World titles in sprint, technical and long distance for Junior, Open and Masters paddlers on hard boards up to 14 feet, plus inflatable races, foil sprints, kids’ races (U12 to U15) and a fun race open to SUPs, canoes and kayaks.
• World Ranking Series: seven events from March to October, including Comacchio (Italy), Villach (Austria), Torbay (Great Britain), Gig Harbor (Washington, USA, September 18 to 20), Agios Nikolaos (Greece), the Worlds in Sabaudia and Antalya (Turkey).

ISA: SUP and prone paddleboard

The ISA, the world body for surfing and the Olympic federation for SUP, runs the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship. It covers SUP racing (sprint, technical and distance), prone paddleboard racing (lying down, paddling with your arms) and, in past editions, SUP surfing, with under-18 technical races for boys and girls. The 2025 edition in El Sunzal, El Salvador, in November drew more than 169 athletes from 27 national teams, and Spain won the team title for the second year in a row. Our surfing organizations page has more on the ISA.

The pro tour: APP World Tour

The APP World Tour is the best-known professional circuit for SUP racing and SUP surfing. Its founder and director, Tristan Boxford, says it has run global SUP surfing events since 2010 and models itself on pro surfing’s tour structure. Its sprint races use an M-shaped course with elimination heats and water starts; distance races use lap courses with buoy turns. For 2026 the tour announced new race formats, a mix of flatwater and surf venues, and a SUP surfing tour of at least three events. Schedules shift, so check the tour’s site for current stops.

In the US: who does what

American Canoe Association (ACA)

The ACA is the US member federation of Paddle Worldwide, and it does two big jobs for paddleboarders:

• Racing: its SUP Competition Committee runs US SUP racing under ACA SUP racing rules and picks the national team. As of the 2026 season, the USA National SUP Team is chosen at the USA SUP National Championships, held alongside the Narrows Challenge in Gig Harbor, Washington, September 18 to 20, 2026.
• Instruction: ACA-certified instructors teach a ladder of SUP courses: Level 1 Introduction to SUP, Level 2 Essentials of SUP, Level 3 Coastal, Surf and River SUP, then Level 4 and 5 whitewater SUP. There’s also a SUP Yoga Leader certification and a SUP Day Trip Leader assessment. The ACA’s online instructor listing lets you filter by state, discipline (SUP) and level.

USA Surfing

USA Surfing, the ISA’s US member, crowns national champions in SUP surfing and SUP and prone racing and names the US team for the ISA world championship. At the 2026 USA Surfing Championships in Oceanside, California, SUP surfing ran on June 11 and SUP and prone racing on June 12, with a 10K distance race, a technical race and a sprint.

Local clubs, race series and lessons

Most paddlers never see a world championship, and that’s fine: the heart of SUP is local. Ways in:

• Canoe and kayak clubs: many welcome SUP. The ACA’s club list includes sprint racing clubs from Seattle and Gig Harbor to San Diego, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Georgia and Hawaii; the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Club hosts the 2026 Narrows Challenge.
• Paddle shops and outfitters: most run group paddles, demo days, lessons and weekly race nights. Ask whether their instructors are ACA certified.
• Local race series: usually with short “fun” courses and inflatable classes for newcomers alongside longer elite races.
• SUP yoga studios: classes in calm water on wide boards, often with gear provided. Look for a teacher with SUP yoga leader training as well as a yoga background.

Whatever the group, the safety basics apply: a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, the right leash and a whistle. Our SUP rules and water safety page explains them, and paddle day and race day covers what to eat and drink before your first race.

Youth, college and masters paths

• Kids: clubs and camps teach the basics; at the top, Paddle Worldwide’s 2026 Worlds include kids’ races for ages 12 to 15. Our SUP with kids page covers life jackets and lessons.
• Juniors: junior categories at the ICF Worlds and under-18 technical races at the ISA worlds.
• College: SUP isn’t an NCAA sport, so college paddlers race through clubs and open events.
• Masters: the ICF Worlds have Masters categories, and local races usually have age groups. SUP is a sport you can race for decades; in one survey, paddlers ranged from 8 to 82.

Gear for your first club paddle or race

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Many local races have an inflatable class, so an all-around board like the iRocker All Around 11 8.0 (about $580; 11 ft by 32 in, carbon paddle, pump and leash included) gets you to the start line. Upgrading the paddle is the cheapest speed you can buy: the Aqua-Bound Freedom 85 has a 100% carbon shaft, an 85-square-inch fiberglass-reinforced blade, adjustable length and breaks into four pieces for travel. Keep your phone and keys dry in a roll-top bag like the Earth Pak 5L dry bag (about $18), which comes with a waterproof phone case. More on our paddleboarding gear page.

SUP associations questions

Who governs stand-up paddleboarding?

Two world federations: Paddle Worldwide (formerly the International Canoe Federation) and the International Surfing Association. Both run SUP world championships. A 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling made the ISA the governing body for SUP at Olympic level.

When and where are the 2026 SUP world championships?

Paddle Worldwide’s ICF SUP World Championships are scheduled for October 14 to 18, 2026 in Sabaudia, Italy. The ISA runs its own World SUP and Paddleboard Championship; check the ISA’s calendar for the next edition.

How is the US SUP national team picked?

For the ICF events, the ACA picks the USA National SUP Team at the USA SUP National Championships, held in 2026 with the Narrows Challenge in Gig Harbor, Washington. For the ISA worlds, USA Surfing names its SUP team from its national championships.

What is the APP World Tour?

The best-known pro circuit for SUP racing and SUP surfing, with sprint and distance racing and a SUP surfing tour. It’s separate from the federations’ world championships.

How do I find a SUP instructor or club near me?

The ACA’s online instructor listing can be filtered by state, the SUP discipline and level. Local canoe and kayak clubs, paddle shops and outfitters run lessons, group paddles and race nights.

Back to the paddleboarding hub, or see SUP rules and race formats, SUP training and gear. Related: surfing organizations and our kayaking section.