It’s great to a grab a couple buddies and head out to the water to lounge on your SUP. Have you ever wanted to do something bigger with your SUP or connect with larger groups of SUP riders? There are many awesome events all over the world for your paddle boarding enjoyment. In this post we well look at some of the best annual SUP events worldwide for you to check out.

The Golden Games, Golden, Colorado 

This event features a SUP Joust competition, SUP Race, SUP Surfing Competition, Downriver SUP Sprint, Downriver SUP Cross. Other events will be occurring for kayaking, slacklining, and fly fishing. There are many free activities that will consist of clinics on how to fly fish, paddling with the pros, and SUP clinics.

More details: The Golden Games

Northwest Paddling Festival, Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah, Washington 

A huge annual event that bring together SUP vendors, SUP manufacturers, and SUP riders together for an amazing time. Various seminars occur throughout the day which include topics like SUP Yoga, dressing for paddling sports, water safety, choosing the right SUP equipment, taking photos on SUP, and more. A SUP race is also a highlight of this event.

More details: Northwest Paddling Festival

Nile River Festival, Bujagali Falls, Jinja, Uganda

This African festival is a celebration of some of the whitewater rapids of the Nile. Some of the SUP based events include SUP-X Race and SUP Jousting. This festival also has some great Kayak events and races which includes some of the top athletes in this water based activities.

More details: Nile River Festival

Carolina Cup, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 

The Carolina Cup event has going strong for 9-plus years. One unique experience at this event is the kid race. Along with the kid race, there are several other types of races geared towards SUP racers of various skill levels. The Carolina Cup is one of the most prestigious races for SUP racers across the world. The event also offers food, live music, and various clinics throughout the event.

More details: Carolina Cup

Annapolis Watersports Festival, Annapolis, Maryland 

A newly established festival in the Washington D.C. area. This festival aims at bringing the sailing and paddleboard communities together. Paddleboard demonstrations are going throughout the event as well as sailing demos. Many great organizations are involved in this festival that support adaptive paddle board programs for mentally and physically disable youth and veterans. There are nautical displays, beach activities, food, music, and fun for everyone.

More details: Annapolis Watersports Festival

Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, Hood River, Oregon 

Part of the Paddle League World Tour that features 9 major race events. This festival takes place in the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. Some of the prominent events include Team Relay Race, Course Race, and a Distant Downwind Race. Many SUP companies display products, free SUP lessons are offered, various demonstrations, and live music.

More details: Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge

London SUP Open, London, England 

Many top-level paddle boarder come to take on the challenging races on the River Thames and Royal Docks. The London SUP open brings out some of the most well-known SUP riders in the industry. This is the largest SUP event in the United Kingdom. There are activities for beginners and games like SUP Polo or SUP Yoga.

More details: London SUP Open

Paddle Jam Apalacicola, Florida 

This festival occurs at a couple alternating locations in Florida and is dubbed as celebrating the “Forgotten Coast.” A full slate of exciting events are the norm for this major SUP festival. In 2018, a new Guinness Record is set to happen with the largest floating kayak raft. Many demos, beach activities, races, fairs, and games makes this a blast for everyone involved.

More details: Paddle Jam

Pacific Paddle Games, Dana Point, California

This is one of the best paddle board events on the Pacific Coast. Many professionals come together for various racing events. There are also competitive youth racing events. Free Yoga and Pilates are occurring at various times of the day during the games. They also have a family based yoga class.

More details: Pacific Paddle Games

Extreme Fun Games, San Teodoro, Sardinia 

Various contests and races incorporate windsurfing, paddleboarding, and kitesurfing. This event looks like a blast with fitness lessons, kids zone, environmental education, yoga classes, beach parties, skateboard shows, and DJ’s.

More details: Extreme Fun Games

Standup for the Cure, Various U.S. Locations 

If you’re looking for a SUP event that serves a good cause, than this is it. All the proceeds of this event go towards breast cancer awareness and treatment. This event travels to various locations with the United States. Some of the events include:

• Fun activities for the _whole family
• Optional competitive races
• SUP Lessons
• Yoga class
• Free breast cancer & melanoma screenings
• Lunch & happy hour
• Live music
• Silent auction
• Raffle with amazing prizes
• Time to simply paddle and enjoy!

More details: Standup for the Cure

Air France Paddle Festival, Maeva Beach, France

Several races take place in this France based paddle boarding festival. The Lagoon is the gauntlet of all the races taking place. There are options at this festival to participate in kids racing or fun races for beginners. A SUP Polo tournament is another exciting attraction.

More details: Air France Paddle Festival

Molokai 2 Oahu Paddle Board World Championship, Hawaii 

Dubbed as the most challenging race in the world. You can track some of the elite SUP athletes participating in this race. Some of the latest waterboard technology and trends are on display at this event. This event honors the spirit of the long time paddle board tradition of the Polynesian culture. Unique art exhibits are created to pay homage to the spirit of this race.

More details: Molokai 2 Oahu Paddle Board World Championship

To summarize, we all love just getting out and enjoying the water on our SUP, but there are so many more things that we can experience. These are some great events that will connect you with other cultures, SUP Skills, SUP enthusiasts, and most of all just having fun.

Please comment below on anything you enjoyed from this post or any of these events that you’ve experienced.