Ending an argument we're sure has happened at least once on a slow afternoon in a bar somewhere, a court will finally decide whether stand-up paddleboarding is closer to surfing or canoeing. The New York Times reports the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been asked to settle a dispute between the International Surfing Association and International Canoe Federation, both of which are fighting for control of the increasingly popular sport of stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP. The battle for control of SUP has become more urgent as the Olympics is considering adding it to future games.
The ISA argues SUP is performed on a board, like surfing; it also claims it's been holding SUP competitions for years, Deadspin reports. The ICF counters that SUP uses a paddle. "Propulsion using a paddle is basically canoeing," the ICF secretary general says. "Standing up or sitting down is irrelevant." But the ISA claims the ICF is trying to jump on the bandwagon. "We have a track record of doing this," Reuters quotes the ISA president as saying. "At the ICF now there is an interest of how they can be part of the popularity of the sport." The ISA calls itself "the historical rightful custodian" of SUP, and the ICF claims its opponent has rejected all offers of compromise. No date has been set for the court's decision. (More paddleboarding stories.)
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