Registration Open for 2023 Busan SUP Open

BUSAN, South Korea - Registration is now open and we are now 6 weeks out from one of the most exciting stops on the global SUP calendar: the Busan SUP Open. The beautiful Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong-Gu, Busan and our partners KAPP will once again welcome the World's Best for Stop #3 of the 2023 APP World Tour.

The Busan SUP Open will feature World Tour Competition across both sprint and distance at this all important third stop of the 2023 APP World Tour. It will also feature Amateur U18, U16 and U14 competition formats, introductory clinics, on-water sessions for all and fun for all the family living up to the APP World Tour's inclusive approach to engaging communities across the world through its events. This year's edition will also feature clinics from the world's best on the 6th, followed by sprint racing on the 7th, distance on the 8th, and a holiday celebration on the 9th.

For Pro registration go to appworldtour.com and for all local Pro, open, youth and leisure participation, please go to kappworldtour.com.

Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

TITLE RACE INTENSIFIES GOING INTO STOP #3

After two intense stops in Europe (Alicante and Viana do Castelo), the APP World Tour now arrives in Asia with it all to play for. In the Women, it is Argentina's Juliette Duhaime who is holding her own this season, with a strong start in Alicante followed by the overall victory in Viana do Castelo, setting herself up perfectly for a shot at the 2023 World Title. However, the ever impressive Espe Barreras from Spain is right there as always, currently in 2nd place and looking as dangerous as ever. Likewise, MarieCarmen Rivera from Puerto Rico is also on a roll after another strong finish in Viana.

Distance winner in Portugal and young phenom Duna Gordillo from Mallorca, Spain is also looking in incredible form across both distance and sprints, and while she missed the first event in Alicante, she has set herself up for a strong surge through the middle part of the season. Locally, the talent is on the rise, led by Jiwon Choi and Sujeong Lim, who dominated the Asian Championships back in May and are setting an amazing example for future Champions to follow. The future is bright in Korea, with no shortage of talent and thanks to the incredible work that KAPP is doing to supercharge opportunities for young athletes to flourish locally and join the international scene.

Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

In the Men's it is 2022 World Champion Connor Baxter from Hawaii who leads the field, with a dominant display in sprint racing so far this season and a strong finish in the open ocean distance race in Viana. Meanwhile, the young phenom from Okinawa, Japan, Shuri 'Shrimpy' Araki is right on his heels, with an impressive victory in Viana following on from a solid performance in Alicante.

However, it is certainly not a two horse race, with Denmark's Christian Andersen showing incredible form in 2023, currently sitting in 3rd place overall and will certainly be one to watch out for, while, the ever impressive 2018 World Champion, Frenchman Arthur Arutkin can never be counted out. Representing the exceptional young talent coming out of Spain, Fernando Perez Serra is also right in the mix in 4th place overall after a couple of strong results in Europe.

Coming into the Busan SUP Open, you can't help but acknowledge the performance of the other young talent from Okinawa, Japan, Rai Taguchi, who put on the performance of a lifetime at last year's Busan SUP Open, dominated the Asian Championships earlier this year and is currently sitting in 6th place overall in the rankings.

As we look to the local talent, dark horses such as Han Seongho will without doubt provide fierce competition, along with many other competitors from across Asia such as Kenta Yamada and Ryohei Yoshida from Japan, Thomas Luk from China and Natapat Koman from Thailand.

Stay tuned for all the build up to the 2023 Busan SUP Open and register now to be a part of Asia's marquee World Championship Tour event by going to appworldtour.com. For all Open entries and for more information on the KAPP's Festival in Busan, please go to kappworldtour.com.