It was 1980, long before the days of modern Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Rand Perkins was standing to paddle as he raced canoes down class 3 and 4 rapids. Everyone else was kneeling. In those days, paddling in a canoe was executed on one side­ your dominant paddling side. Not so for “the Alien”, as Perkins is affectionately known by his competitors…

2015 was a stand out year for the young Mo Freitas. Mo traveled across the globe and was a top performing athlete in practically every race in which he participated. To get the perspective from a top stand up paddle professional athlete on the best SUP events in the world we called up Mo and talked to him about his top SUP event picks for 2015 and his reasoning behind his picks.

2015 is coming to a close and it’s crazy to see how much has happened this year. From news of cancellations of major SUP events to viral videos and tons upon tons of tips and tricks, we’ve gathered together the top 10 SUP topics over the past year. So without further ado, check out the Top 10 SUP Topics that we've covered for 2015 below.

The Waterman League is proud to announce the athletes selected for the Pipeline Invitational, together with alternates. With the focus on showcasing Hawaii born talent at what is Hawaii's most iconic wave, here is the shortlist of 10 athletes selected for the Pipeline Invitational in memory of Duke Kahanamoku.

The triSUP series is the ultimate alternative triathlon series, which replaces the traditional swim leg with a ‘SUP’ (stand up paddle board). Participants will therefore SUP, Ride and Run. SUPing has seen massive growth in recent years and is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.

Seychelle Hattingh has just accomplished an incredible task. Seychelle just broke the record for longest paddle (man or woman) in 24 hours, paddling 110 miles pretty much non-stop for 24 hours straight (her longest break was only around five minutes).  Seychelle broke the current record on December 5th and 6th, 2015 and did it all to raise funds to sponsor athletes from Florida Monroe County that participate in the Special Olympics.

Denmark has become the first country to announce a bid for the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle & Paddleboard Championship. If successful, Denmark would become the first European country to host the World Championship. The ISA World StandUp Paddle & Paddleboard Championship has never been staged outside of Latin America, so Denmark is hoping to play a leading part in showcasing the exciting and developing sport to a European audience.

Starboard SUP announced this week that they will be launching a new initiative – growing the National Grassroots Team Program in the USA by enlisting 100 new Brand Ambassadors. “We see a lot of potential in the US market,” said Starboard CEO and brand visionary, Svein Rasmussen, “…and it all starts on the front lines with passionate locals who, like us, want to take SUP to the next level".

The beautiful beaches of Ocean City, Maryland will be offering more than just sunshine, golden sand and surf this summer. On Saturday, July 16th, 2016 the Ocean Games will be hosting its 4th annual athletic event starting at 10:00 am just off the Boardwalk at Caroline Street.

The Waterman League is proud to announce a new and high profile territory for 2016 as it establishes formal representation in Canada, with a groundbreaking event in the works right at the heart of the city of Toronto.

With cloudy weather, winds at a strong 25-30 knots and the temperature really low, organizers were facing the worst case scenario, just one day before the race, which was postponing or even canceling the race. On race day, 167 paddlers were given the go-ahead to take part in a challenging day on the water for the 5th annual Corinth Canal SUP Crossing.

At the 2015 French National SUP Championships it was European powerhouses Titouan Puyo and Celine Guedson who took the 2015 championship. After a long weekend of racing, Puyo and Guedson slayed both the long distance race as well as the technical race for the men and women, giving the the two athletes an outstanding lead against their competitors and the overall victories for the event.