NEW YORK TIMES – The age-old questions. Is light a particle or a wave? Is Certs a breath mint or a candy mint? Is bridge a sport or a game?
And now add this one: Is stand-up paddleboarding more like canoeing or more like surfing?
This question, at least, is headed to mediation with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In stand-up paddle, athletes stand on a long, flat board. (Hey, that sounds like surfing!) They race one another, propelling their craft with a paddle. (Wait a minute, that sounds like canoeing!)
The races can be held on flat water, like standard canoeing races, or in the waves, like surfing.
Now both the International Surfing Association and the International Canoe Federation want to control the sport. It’s not just an academic exercise. Stand-up paddle is a candidate to be added to the Olympics, which has recently been binging on adding new sports and events.
Both sides have held stand-up paddle events, and both believe they are the rightful stewards of the sport going forward.
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