The International Canoe Federation has relocated this year’s Stand Up Paddling World Championships to Sabaudia, Italy.
Competition was originally scheduled to be held in Sicily only for those plans to be dashed after Cyclone Harry hit the Italian island in January.
Devastating damage was caused to the coastline of Sicily, making the original venue of Taormina unable to host the World Championships in October.
The ICF and the Italian Canoe Kayak Federation have since worked hard to relocate the World Championships to another location within Italy.
Situated midway between Rome and Naples, the coastal town of Sabaudia offers a fantastic venue for the World Championships.
World titles in sprint, technical and long distance will be on the line with competition set to take place from October 14 to 18.
The ICF is also delighted to reveal the destinations for this year’s SUP World Ranking Series, which runs from March to October.
Like last year, the series will begin with the ICF SUP World Ranking Event opener in Comacchio, Italy later this month.
Paddlers will battle it out for technical and long distance titles from March 27 to 29.
The next ICF World Ranking Event featuring technical and long distance races will be staged in Villach, Austria from May 14 to 17.
Torbay, Great Britain will hold the ICF SUP World Cup from June 24 to 28 with sprint, technical and long distance medals up for grabs.
Gig Harbour in Washington, United States will stage the ICF SUP World Ranking Event from September 18 to 20 with sprint, technical and long-distance races on the programme.
The fifth stop in the series will see paddlers compete in the sprint, technical and long distance categories in Agios Nikolaos, Greece when it stages the ICF SUP World Cup from September 20 to 23.
The World Championships in Sabaudia is the sixth stage before Antalya, Turkey is due to play host to the final ICF SUP World Ranking Event.
Antalya is set to stage technical and long distance races from October 28 to 31.
Noemi Horvath, Chair of the ICF SUP Committee, said: “We are extremely excited about the new location for the 2026 ICF SUP World Championships.
“Italy has a strong connection to paddle sports and offers a beautiful and dynamic setting for our sport, and we are confident it will provide a fantastic experience for both athletes and fans.
“Combined with a strong calendar of World Ranking Series events, the 2026 season promises exciting racing and great opportunities for athletes around the world.”
For all the details on the 2026 ICF SUP World Ranking Series, click here
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