World championship tour

Long Distance ICF World Title: The Men’s and Women’s World No. 2, Spain's Fernando Perez and Esperanza Barreras, will be the big attractions in a strong line-up that will vie for the top honours in the upcoming India Paddle Festival, India’s first-ever international Stand-Up Paddling event to be held here next week.

India’s challenge will be spearheaded by the Sekar Patchai, the reigning national champion along with Manikandan D. and Akash J. Shetty. The India Paddle Festival is scheduled to take place at the picturesque Sasihithlu Beach, Mangalore, Karnataka, from March 8 to 10 and will be conducted before the launch of the 2024 APP World Tour. The three-day international event is sanctioned by the Association of PaddleSurf Professionals World Tour (APP), the official professional World Championship Tour for the sport of Stand-Up Paddling.

Other top-ranked international stand-up paddle surfers, which include the likes of Antonio Morillo, Pluem Koman, and Fernando Perez, have also confirmed their participation in the championship. A total of 45 stand-up paddlers will be competing across four different categories, Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Junior U-16 Boys, and Girls. Spaniard Esperanza Barreras, a four-time International Surfing Association (ISA) SUP World Champion, 2022 European Champion, and a three-time International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Champion, will be the biggest name in the Women’s Open category.