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Welcome to our collection of the biggest news and stories that have taken place in the SUP world from the previous month. Let's recap what happened in March 2026.
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THE 2026 MOLOKA‘I-TO-O‘AHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2026
Registration has opened for the Moloka‘i‑to‑O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships, one of the most iconic endurance events in paddlesports.
The 27th edition of the event will take place on Sunday, July 26, 2026, featuring both prone paddleboard and stand up paddle (SUP) divisions as athletes once again take on the famous Kaiwi Channel crossing between Moloka‘i and O‘ahu. There is also a foiling division scheduled for try Alongside the traditional paddleboard race, organisers will also run a dedicated foil race on Monday, July 20, 2026.
Entries opened on March 14 at 7:00 AM HST and will close on April 5 at 11:59 PM HST, with a limited number of competitors accepted for the race.
The crossing covers roughly 32 miles (51km) of open ocean and finishes at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, where competitors arrive after navigating powerful Hawaiian trade winds and swell lines across the channel.
Santa Cruz Paddlefest - 2026
The Santa Cruz Paddlefest 2026, held at Steamer Lane, once again brought together SUP surf, ocean racing and prone paddling across a packed weekend of competition. Now sitting within the USA Surfing SUP Surf Race Series, the event carries added relevance in the U.S. calendar, with athletes competing not just for podiums, but also for national ranking points.
Held from March 27–29, 2026, at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California, the Santa Cruz Paddlefest remains one of the sport’s longest-running events, combining SUP surf, ocean racing and prone disciplines in a single weekend format.
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PORT STEPHENS SUP CHALLENGE - 2026
The Port Stephens SUP Challenge returned to the New South Wales coastline in early March, bringing together paddlers from across Australia for a weekend of SUP surfing and racing.
Held from 4–7 March 2026 and organised by the Newcastle SUP Club, the event once again combined multiple disciplines across several days of competition. Events were held around Port Stephens, with competition locations including One Mile Beach and Birubi Beach, depending on conditions.
The format blends both SUP surf competition and race disciplines, creating a festival-style event that allows competitors to take part in multiple formats throughout the weekend.
Surf competition formed a major part of the event, with competitors battling it out in beach-break conditions across a range of divisions including open and masters categories.
With strong participation across surf and race divisions, the Port Stephens SUP Challenge continues to play an important role in the Australian SUP calendar, bringing together both competitive athletes and grassroots paddlers for a multi-discipline weekend on the water.