SCOTTISH PADDLEBOARD TEAM TO ATTEND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Scottish Surfing Federation has confirmed that it will send its first ever Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) team to the upcoming World Championships in Copenhagen.

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Thousands of spectators will attend the International Surfing Association (ISA) SUP and Paddleboard World Championships, taking place within the city centre and nearby beach venue from the 16th to the 22nd of September.

With 116 members countries of the ISA, this will be no walk in the park for Team Scotland, with all athletes representing Scotland for the first time.

Alasdair Findlay, from Glasgow Paddleboarders, will act as Team Scotland’s Manager, hoping to inspire Jonathan Sherwin, Glen Sloss, Alison Rennie, Angela Kerr, Jennifer Armstrong and Dean Dunbar to peak performance across the various SUP and Paddleboard disciplines.

Alasdair said:

“This has been a long time coming and its super exciting to finally put Scotland on the world SUP map. It’s great to have such a talented and enthusiastic team for Denmark and we can’t wait to see how we do against the world’s best.”

There are estimated to be around six hundred thousand paddleboarders in the UK, with at least forty thousand paddleboarders in Scotland. The Scottish Surfing Federation hopes that Scotland’s attendance at the event will raise the profile of the sport in Scotland and inspire those who paddleboard for fun to get more involved in events and competitions.

Paul Stark, Chief Executive of the Scottish Surfing Federation, said;

“Paddleboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and Scotland is one of the most beautiful places to paddleboard.

We have seen a significant rise in the number of people paddleboarding across Scotland and we hope that Team Scotland’s attendance at the ISA World Championships will act as a catalyst for transformational change, providing the inspiration to get involved in the sport and showcasing the pathway to elite performance.

Ultimately, we want everyone to enjoy the sport safely and to highlight the benefits that participation in SUP and Paddleboarding can bring to our lives.”

Demonstrating the inclusive nature of the sport is Dean Dunbar. Dean, from Blairgowrie, is registered blind and will be taking part in the Paddleboarding Tech discipline. Dean will complete against his able-bodied counterparts without any additional assistance, providing an additional significant challenge in what is likely to be an already very competitive field.  

Dean said:

“Live is all about challenges, and this is certainly going to be a good one! The bonus is that this time I will be flying the flag for Scotland in the sport that I love.”

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Glen said:

“Thanks to the Scottish Surfing Federation, Scotland now has a pathway for current and future SUP athletes to compete for their nation at events such as the ISA World SUP Championships.

Being part of the first ever Scottish team to compete at the event, which will feature elite paddlers from all over the World, is both an honour and incredibly exciting!

I train exclusively on the sea with the hills of Arran as my backdrop so I’m looking forward to the contrast of locations when we are racing through the harbour and canals of central Copenhagen!”