SUPSA and SUP Squad 2020

by | Sep 30, 2020 | Uncategorized

Best Stand-Up and Paddleboard Community,

We, alongside all sports in South Africa, are doing our very best to make sure our athletes and paddlers are getting back on the water and doing what we all love.

In the last three months, we have partnered with Canoeing SA so that our flat-water paddlers can get back on the water. All stand-up and paddleboarders can register with Canoeing SA as a Social SUP member or a Full Member. With a full membership, you will be able to partake in upcoming canoe races and will be ranked across the country on their ranking platform.

We have also tightened our partnership with Surfing SA, so that SUP Surfers can also get back in the waves and partake in surfing competitions that will include a SUP Surfing division.

There are a lot of questions about the SUP Squad, Team Selection, points and ranking. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and 2020, the 2020 squad will be carried over to 2021.This is due to no ISA World Championships event in 2020 and minimal SUPSA qualifier races and competitions in 2020.

All 2020 squad members need to stay fit and compete in the upcoming races as the 2021 team will still be selected from the squad members. If there are new athletes who show great performance and talent at the upcoming races, they will be included to train with the squad.

Because of our partnership with Canoeing SA, many of their events will be qualifiers for out flat-water athletes, being sprints, distance and technical. SUPSA organised races (the likes of Pili Pili 2021, Zinkwazi 2021, Century City 2020 & 2021 and XOTB 2021, to name a few) will stay as qualifiers as well. The races will be communicate as either SUPSA SANCTIONED or NOT SUPSA SANCTIONED

We will select the 2022 squad from a percentage of the SUPSA SANCTIONED events as not everyone can take part in all of the events and not all the events will necessarily include qualifying distances. The Century City Race (March 2020), St Francis Canoe Marathon (October 2020) and Liebenbergsvleiriver Race (November 2020) are the three SUPSA Sanctioned races from 2020 that will count towards the 2022 squad selection, alongside the 2021 races. The 2021 races will be communicated to you by December 2020.

Take note: We will be hosting the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 2nd of November 2020, 18:30, on Zoom. More details will follow.

If you have any questions, please contact Anja Burger at supsasecretary@gmail.com or Guy Bubb at guy@supcapetown.co.za .

 

COVID-19: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s Submission for Plans (17/08/2020)

by | Aug 17, 2020 | Uncategorized

Have you seen the lastest submission for the plans regarding the Sport Section in South Africa during COVID-19, Level 2.

The published Directions allows sport, arts and cultural events to resume subject to compliance with measures to prevent and combat the spread of COVID–19 by—

(i) allowing Professional non–contact sport to resume training and matches

(ii) allowing Professional contact sport to resume training and competition in a Biologically Safe Environment;

See the plans, here.

Governance of Stand-Up Paddle to the ISA at Olympic Level

by | Aug 9, 2020 | Denmark World Champs, El Salvador World Championships, Fiji World Champs, ISA, Prone, South African Surfing Championships, Stand Up Paddle, SUP Downwind, SUP Events, SUP Racing, SUP Surfing, Surfing South Africa, Uncategorized

The following article is written by ISA News and can be found on the ISA website. 

The ISA today welcomed the landmark decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award the governance of StandUp Paddle (SUP) to the ISA at Olympic level.

The resolution of this matter is an historic moment for the sport of SUP and the ISA. The ISA has been committed to the global development and promotion of SUP over many years – investing and defending the sport to serve the best interests of the athletes, national federations, local SUP events and all fans.

The CAS award allows the ISA to further focus and fully accelerate the international growth and popularity of the sport, as the International Sport Federation responsible for SUP at the Olympic level.

ISA President, Fernando Aguerre said:

“At the end of this long and difficult paddle, we are both relieved and gratified by this important decision by CAS.  In confirming the ISA’s governance of SUP at the Olympic level, CAS has validated our years of passion, commitment and leadership – from our world champions, to our officials, organizers and member federations.

“The global SUP community can now look forward with clarity in continuing the building of an exciting future for SUP and its athletes. This includes our long-term ambition and plan to see the sport included in the Olympic Programme under the leadership and authority of the ISA.

“For us, there’s never been any question that the governance of SUP at the Olympic level derived rightfully from the history, tradition and culture of surfing.  Today, we feel validation and recognition for all the years of active effort and hard work the committed teams at the ISA and around the world at a national level have invested to ensure SUP’s continued growth.

“Today’s decision is a team gold medal for the sport and the ISA.  We would like to thank all the athletes, officials, ISA member federation leaders and APP World Tour, as well as our legal team at Baer & Karrer, who supported us and stood by us all along the way.”

ISA Vice President Casper Steinfath said: 

“As an active athlete, but also a leader of the ISA, I am truly stoked for this outcome.  At the same time, we are pleased to put this legal process behind us. We are eager to get back to the important priority for all of us in expanding the global opportunities for SUP athletes and the sport.

As we saw at the Pan Am Games last summer in Lima, SUP can add amazing value to multi-sport competitions like the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, and other Continental Games.

“The pathway to these events for the athletes – through the ISA governance and its membership – is now clear.”

“For those of us who love and practice this sport every day, our passion to see SUP thrive globally is completely genuine and comes from our core. Today marks a historic moment for the rightful leadership, promotion and unity of SUP, which will ensure it enjoys an exciting and successful future.”

CAS has issued a press release regarding the award, which can be viewed here.

ICF given all clear to keep running SUP events

by | Aug 9, 2020 | Prone, South African Surfing Championships, Stand Up Paddle, SUP Events, SUP Racing, SUP Surfing, Uncategorized

The following article is written by ICF Media and can be found on the ICF website.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has cleared the way for the International Canoe Federation to continue to run Stand Up Paddling events at a national, international and world levels.  

The ICF was vindicated following CAS’s strong rejection of the claim by the International Surfing Association (ISA) that it had the exclusive right to govern Stand Up Paddling.  CAS unanimously found that the ICF was within its rights, as it has always maintained, to develop and nurture stand up paddling activities and competitions worldwide.

The CAS decision follows a long dispute between the ICF and the ISA over the governance of SUP.  It confirms that both the ICF and the ISA can continue to run SUP events.

In an unconventional move, the majority of the CAS panel indicated (with one panel member dissenting) that the ISA should have responsibility for running SUP at Olympic level in the future if SUP is eventually recognised as an Olympic sport.  It is surprising that the CAS panel felt that they could reach such a decision without the involvement of the IOC, as the recognition of an international federation as the administrator of an Olympic sport is traditionally a matter for the IOC.

However, the ICF welcomes the clear statement by CAS that its decision is not binding upon the IOC.  The IOC is ultimately free to make its own decision about who should govern SUP as an Olympic sport, taking account of what is in the best interests of the sport at the relevant time, without being fettered by today’s CAS Award.

Behind the ICF’s vision for SUP and core to this dispute, has been the notion that resources from both international federations can and should be used for the development of the discipline of stand up paddling, to make it an exciting and attractive sport at all levels.

ICF president, Jose Perurena, said the decision presents an opportunity for two Olympic federations to work together to grow a sport.

“We are pleased and feel vindicated that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has recognised the important role the International Canoe Federation has played in the development of stand up paddling and that it is free to continue this role worldwide” Mr Perurena said.

“The CAS decision presents an opportunity for two Olympic federations, the ICF and the ISA, to work together to promote a sport.  SUP is one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports on the planet, and it is the responsibility of both our federations to give it the best possible opportunity to reach its full potential.  We believe that the sport will flourish as a result.”

The decision also means national canoe federations can continue to hold SUP events without any interference or objection from ISA or its national members, which will help the development of the sport at grass root level.

The CAS decision clears the way for the ICF to hold its next SUP world championships, scheduled for Balatonfured in Hungary in 2021 and decide on two future editions which have been put on hold due to the ongoing CAS case.