Careful: we need new blood

[photofr]

Are you guys seeing this too?
What do you races look like?

I know there are quite a few events where kids are welcomed, however, the last race in Europe showed this alarming news...
Total entries: 33 paddlers
Over 40: 22 paddlers
Over 50: 14 paddlers

Looking at those stats, there's no doubt that I fear for the future of the sport - at least in its racing stages.

[TallDude]

I think there is a new SUP racing video game. The kids are really interested it........ 

If you're losing, you can just shoot or bomb all your competitors. Got to have the blood factor.....

[photofr]

I've heard of that game: SUP Combat. Nowadays, it takes place in the SURF, right? 

[Bean]

Total entries: 33 paddlers
Over 40: 22 paddlers
Over 50: 14 paddlers

Well, for one thing, they need to stop using that new-math...

[photofr]

Good catch... there were 43 male entries (but I cannot change my original post stating 33 paddlers)

[Rideordie]

I think that it is pretty common for a large percentage to be older. I think that the cost of a race board and paddle plus fees and hotel etc is just out of reach for a lot of the the younger crowd. 

[ukgm]

Are you guys seeing this too?
What do you races look like?

I know there are quite a few events where kids are welcomed, however, the last race in Europe showed this alarming news...
Total entries: 33 paddlers
Over 40: 22 paddlers
Over 50: 14 paddlers

Looking at those stats, there's no doubt that I fear for the future of the sport - at least in its racing stages.

This is pretty typical of other sports i know like cycling, triathlon and kayaking. It's because those age groups have got to the point of children being independent and having a larger disposable income. I was only talking to someone about this yesterday - in the UK right now, we only have two <20 yr paddlers coming through. Both are sponsored by brands, both are male and that's not healthy.

Having a sport with 3 grands worth of board that people want to upgrade annually and the need to travel to events is not the healthy base of a sports development pyramid. However, it might not mean collapse, but merely a limited pool.

[comeu]

As usual Mr Photofr sees only what he wants, and overreacts.
What is The “last race in Europe “?
22/33 are over 40?= 11 are under 40, not that bad.
Stats with only 33 don’t mean much anyway.
Endurance sports attract older people, do you know Marco Olmo ?
+ from SUP racer “Inspired by their pioneering superstar and world number two, Titouan Puyo, a new generation of New Caledonian paddlers are emerging on the international stage with under-18s Noic Garioud and Clement Colmas leading the way.(...)There are probably dozens more talented men and women waiting in the wings back home à la Tahiti(...)“Les Cagous” are humbly but surely reinvigorating the sport and giving new meaning to the term “Punching above your weight.”
 

[stoneaxe]

Racing peaked 2 -3 years ago. It's not just kids that aren't all that interested. It will be a niche sport (even more than it was) and continue to shrink. Overall number of races has shrunk and while some races continue to draw folks overall participation in racing is less. If the parents aren't racing it's unlikely the kids ever will. I'm not sure what there is to be careful about anyway. SUP racing could disappear completely and it would have little impact on the sport/pastime as a whole. It's only a small (and shrinking) percentage of a small percentage that races.

[photofr]

As usual Mr Photofr sees only what he wants, and overreacts.
What is The “last race in Europe “?
22/33 are over 40?= 11 are under 40, not that bad.
Stats with only 33 don’t mean much anyway.
Endurance sports attract older people, do you know Marco Olmo ?
+ from SUP racer “Inspired by their pioneering superstar and world number two, Titouan Puyo, a new generation of New Caledonian paddlers are emerging on the international stage with under-18s Noic Garioud and Clement Colmas leading the way.(...)There are probably dozens more talented men and women waiting in the wings back home à la Tahiti(...)“Les Cagous” are humbly but surely reinvigorating the sport and giving new meaning to the term “Punching above your weight.”
 

To be fair, I am not asking anyone to overreact - nor am I overreacting!
It would be nice if everyone would act on this - and there lies the difference.

The latest race was Alps Trophy 2018. Sure, it didn't attract that many participants - but a 10km race isn't exactly what I would call a great endurance race. I just remember mountain biking with a bunch of 30 year olds - on 3 to 4 hour courses.

Surfski paddling has a similar problem - and I think it's just sad that:
a) people think I overreact when stating the obvious
b) people dismiss this as being a problem
c) people aren't at least trying to come up with solutions

Specifically @COMEAU:
If I really wanted to see what I wanted, I would have stated that the two top paddlers were on a Nelo board, and that 4 of Nelo boards were on the top 10, and that SB was nowhere to be seen (coming in 9th place)
 

[warmuth]

  Not surprising that kids aren’t really much into the worlds slowest sport. Old guys love it because all the other sports eat knee ligaments.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

I think the elite aspect of standup paddling gets way too much attention in general. It doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to racing, or foiling, or big wave surfing, or those crazy downwind runs, but it's not indicative of most of the sport. It's easy to write about and pay attention to, but most people aren't going to be there.

Most people are either renting or getting onto their only board and going for casual paddles. They aren't very photogenic, but they're where most of the industry is at.

[stoneaxe]

I'm trying to understand why you would think any of that is sad.

If you're stating the obvious but nobody else cares enough to do anything then maybe you care too much, we are talking SUP racing not world peace.

Dismissing as a problem....not a problem...it just is what it is....a very niche sport that enjoyed a few years of excitement because it was new. It's no longer new, and it's boring for the most part....so it's fading for all but the die hards. If you're a diehard (and you obviously are) it matters....to everyone else...not so much.

Nobody doing anything? If it didn't already happen with all the $$'s spent and tons of races at great venues, etc.. it's not going to happen. Who's going to throw more time and $$ at something that is fading? I'm all for programs and efforts that increase participation in the sport and have done my share to get people on the water. At one point almost everyone I knew that had a board was going to races...now at best it may be 1 out of 20. Focus on fun events instead of racing and you'll see more kids involved.

[Area 10]

I agree with stoneaxe. Racing has developed to the point where if you don’t want to embarrass yourself you are going to have to put in some serious training. And most of that won’t be inherently fun. So unless you are a highly competitive person by nature, you just are going to do something more fun with your time instead. Most people either do a race or two just for the experience and then decide “been there, done that”, or they aren’t even tempted to in the first place.

If Starboard’s “SUP Polo” had taken off as sport then it might be different. That is inherently fun and is a team game.

[Dusk Patrol]

  Not surprising that kids aren’t really much into the worlds slowest sport.

Ahh, the truth, hiding in plain sight...