The International Canoe Federation is excited to announce it has locked in two of the most passionate supporters of the sport of stand up paddling to call all the action from next month’s ICF SUP World Championships in Balatonfured, Hungary.
Stand Up Magazine publisher Mike Jucker and TotalSup co-founder and director Mathieu Astier will come together to bring all the excitement of the world championships to a worldwide audience over four days of competition.
Both commentators are recognised for their commitment and passion to stand up paddling, and for their inside knowledge and connection to the biggest names in the sport.
Jucker has lived in Hawaii for two decades, where he has immersed himself in paddling and surfing culture. His name is synonymous with commentary and coverage of ocean events, and has completed two Maui2Molokai crossings himself.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be involved with my first ICF event, and am looking forward to working with the people who are a real force behind the growth of stand up paddling,” Jucker said.
“This will be the biggest SUP event on the planet in 2021, and I can’t wait to reunite with so many of the biggest names in the sport, and to also meet the next generation of stand up paddlers.”
Astier first fell in love with stand up paddling in 2013, and used his more than two decades of experienced as a multilingual online marketing guru to develop one of the world’s most popular SUP magazines. He was worked as an expert commentator and field reporter at numerous major SUP competitions.
“After the success of the ICF world championships in China in 2019 it is a real privilege to be involved in this year’s event,” Astier said.
“What really caught everyone’s attention in China was the quality of the live broadcast, with graphics and production skills we had never seen at a major SUP international before.
“This year’s will be even better, so I can’t wait to team up with Mike to be the official voices of this major event.”
The 2021 ICF SUP World Championships at Balatonfured will include sprint, distance and technical classes, and junior, open and masters’ categories. There will also be a race for inflatables as a way of encouraging those with less experience to give SUP a go.
Lake Balaton in Hungary will provide a stunning backdrop for the world’s biggest SUP race in 2021, with Central Europe’s largest lake already a haven for paddlers each year. The 2021 ICF SUP world championships will run from September 9 to 12.
Defending world champions Connor Baxter from the USA and Michael Booth from Australia, 2019 Euro Tour champion Fiona Wylde, and 2018/19 Pan American Games gold medalist and 2019 world SUP tour vice-champion April Zilg are among the big names to have already signed on for the event.
Registrations for all categories are still open.
