Go paddling with world class SUP-athletes in Copenhagen for the 2024 ISA Worlds

Press Release: Surf SUP Denmark

This autumn, anyone with one of the popular SUP boards can participate in what may be the biggest stand-up paddle event in Europe.

There’s good news for visitors in Denmark and the many Danes who have one of the popular SUP boards lying around in their basement or summer house: In September, Copenhagen Harbor will host the SUP festival, Copenhagen SUP, which with up to 1,000 participants could become one of the most significant paddle events in Europe. Copenhagen SUP is a brand-new SUP race open to all levels. 

Stand, lie og kneel

You can choose between a short course of five kilometers and a long course of double the distance, experiencing the canals in Copenhagen around Christiansborg, and through Christianshavn.

We hope for a festive public celebration because everyone can participate. Whether you have an expensive, professional hardboard or a more budget-friendly inflatable model, you can participate in Copenhagen SUP. You may stand, lie, or kneel on the board, although it’s a good idea to practice a bit over the summer. There also will be enough lifeguards in the water to look after the participants.
– Michael Lindberg, CEO of Surf SUP Denmark.

A festive celebration

Copenhagen SUP is part of a large paddle festival as part of the world championships, which will come to Denmark for the second time. The SUP course will feature music, surprising sound, and light effects under the epic Copenhagen bridges. The race starts and finishes in the heart of Copenhagen, which will exude a genuine surfer atmosphere.

 The Municipality of Copenhagen supports both the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships and Copenhagen SUP to give Copenhageners a fantastic experience and to showcase the capital to a global audience. 

Copenhagen is known for having one of the cleanest harbors in the world. We have every reason to be proud of that. I hope that many – both Copenhageners and visitors from out of town – will participate, either from the water or from the land, so that we can create a genuine festival together.
– Mia Nyegaard, mayor of culture and leisure.

 Copenhagen is Europe’s SUP capital

The recipe of combining an elite World Championship with a significant event for the masses is a unique Danish recipe known from, among other things, the World Half Marathon in 2014 and Tour de Storebælt, which was the amateurs’ warm-up on the tour start course in 2022. 

Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, who has helped bring the SUP World Championship to the country and supports its financial execution, is pleased. 

It’s unique for a small country like Denmark to get the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship twice. The experience from seven years ago is still vividly remembered worldwide. With Copenhagen SUP and 1,000 participants on the water, we add another chapter to the story of Denmark as a fantastic water sports nation and Copenhagen as Europe’s SUP capital, says Lars Lundov.

Facts:

Copenhagen SUP takes place on Saturday, 21st September, in the morning, a few hours before the world elite in SUP compete for the world championship on the same course.

Since a SUP participant takes up quite a bit of space with their four-meter-long board, the harbor can only accommodate up to 1,000 participants. You can secure a spot at www.copenhagensup.com

Copenhagen SUP is part of a large paddle festival surrounding the world championships, which will come to Denmark for the second time. This year, it takes place in Copenhagen Harbor and at Amager Beach Park on Monday, 16th September.

In 2017, Dane Casper Steinfath won the World Championship gold in the 200-meter sprint in front of the Opera House.