While the ISA and the International Canoe Federation are in the process of proceeding in the TAS, the French Surf Federation shows us its work with the Stand Up Paddle
The situation of the Stand Up Paddle and IFC is hot. Many are the surfing federations and institutions that at a global level are fighting to have the SUP and its modalities safe. The FFSurf (French Surf Federation), has sent us these days a great material where they show us their work in this sport and the evolution of it in their territory. Today we publish the 1st part with the information of the work done for years by the FFS, the present and its future; besides the opinion of the president of said federation. Next week we will publish an interview with the french SUP coach.
All you need to know about a commitment of the French Surfing Federation for Stand Up Paddle
. Stand Up Paddle was born in Hawaii in ancestral times to surf and move from beach to beach. A time forgotten for the practice of shortboard, it was brought up to date by renowned surfers in the 2000s. First on the surf spots of Hawaii, then on all waves of the planet, before winning all types of water: ponds, lakes, rivers, inland seas …
. Stand Up Paddle is totally part of the Surf family and Surf culture.
. Stand Up Paddle is practiced on a surfboard more or less voluminous and with a paddle to propel and move.
. Stand Up Paddle is nowadays divided into several activities, the main ones being: surfing in the waves, race in the waves or in flat water, promenade along the water.
. The French Surfing Federation received the delegation from the French Ministry of Sports in 2010 to lead, regulate, develop and promote Stand Up Paddle in France. It is the only entity authorized to issue national Stand Up Paddle titles and to organize national selections for the French Stand Up Paddle Team.
. In the world, Stand Up Paddle has been managed for the last 10 years by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and on the Continent by the European Surfing Federation (ESF).
. 2,000 people have a Stand Up Paddle license at the French Surfing Federation.
. It is estimated that there are 50,000 regular Stand Up Paddle practitioners in France and more than one million of occasional practitioners in France (source French Ministry of Sports).
. Direct and indirect expenses related to Stand Up Paddle represent approximately 10% of the total budget of the French Surfing Federation. One of his 7 National Technical Coaches is commissioned by the French Surfing Federation to manage the Stand Up Paddle.
. The consequent work of the French Surfing Federation with the State allowed in particular the Stand Up Paddle not to be considered like a device of beach such as Ç oars of the seas, paddles and kayaks of sea È, allowing practitioners to sail with their Stand Up Paddle up to 2 nautical miles away (May 2015).
. In consultation with the State, Stand Up Paddle was excluded from the regulation of all activities related to paddling sports (March 2016). This reinforces the important work of the French Surfing Federation which regularly changes its regulations on the practice, becoming the reference text. The discipline has gained considerably in freedom of practice with regard to its specificities.
. The French Surfing Federation has established a national circuit of competitions: France Championships since 2009 and France Cup circuit since 2012. The organizers of these nationals events receive funding and technical support from the French Surfing Federation.
. In order to gather all the practice of Stand Up Paddle, the French Surfing Federation has set up an approval procedure, which allows to issue a national authorization for non-federal competitions and to advise each organizer, for about 40 competitions of this type per year.
. The French Surfing Federation provides the French Stand Up Paddle Team with the same human and financial resources as the French Surf Teams. It pays 100% of the fees of all selected athletes. It is the only national federation in the world to fully support its national Stand Up Paddle Team.
. The consequent and regular work of the French Surfing Federation on the detection, supervision and expertise of the French Surf Federation’s technicians on training and coaching, allows the French team to to be vice-champion of the world of Stand Up Paddle (2016 and 2017) on 42 committed countries, and European champion of Stand Up Paddling (2016 and 2017) on 10 committed countries.
. For the past eight years, the French Surfing Federation has been seeking the French Ministry of Sports to obtain High Level Recognition for Stand Up Paddle and High Level Athlete status for its athletes, many of whom are world champions and/or European champions. This status would allow athletes to obtain a state financial scholarship to practice their sport.
. The French Surfing Federation has developed a national diploma: the Federal Off-Wave Patent. The French Surfing Federation works on a certificate of professional qualification «Stand Up Paddle Monitor», which will allow to supervise against remuneration.
. The French Surfing Federation is setting up a Stand Up Paddle module during the training of future surf instructors, who will have the prerogatives of coaching at Stand Up Paddle.
. The French Surf Federation intervenes several times a year to advise and defend the practice of Stand Up Paddling on the territory, in particular: training of the State services concerning regulations, intervention during the elaboration of the regulations of the «Waterway of France».
. The French Surfing Federation launches in 2018 the French School Stand Up Paddle Label, intended for all private or community organizations that give Stand Up Paddle lessons. This label guarantees students that the network’s structures offer a welcome, a material, and a quality education.
. No club of the French Surfing Federation is exclusive in the panel of disciplines practiced within the framework of the club. Thus, all the Stand Up Paddle clubs offer their licensees the discovery and the regular practice of surfing.
. Surfing is obviously present in the Stand Up Paddle Surfing but it is also present on the disciplines of the Race:
– the Long Distance, where you can surf waves to go faster on the courses,
– The Technical Race, which consists of surfing the waves on each return to the beach.
. The French Surfing Federation encourages all Stand Up Paddle practitioners to focus their preparation on the regular practice of surfing. This is already done by the best Stand Up Paddle athletes in France and around the world.
. The French Surfing Federation welcomes the declared popularity of Stand Up Paddling by major and iconic surf companies. Which are now partners of Stand Up Paddle competitions abroad and in France, and partners of foreign and French athletes, whether Stand Up Paddle race or Stand Up Paddle surfing.
. Determined and optimistic, the French Surfing Federation works in harmony with the International Surfing Association (ISA) for the inclusion of Stand Up Paddle in the program of the Paris-2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Jean-Luc Arassus: ¨Stand Up Paddle arouses a particular interest for the boating family¨
The president of the French Surfing Federation recalls the structuring work done for the development of Stand Up Paddle in France, and wonders about the interest displayed by the International Canoe Federation for this discipline totally rooted in surfing.
¨The Stand Up Paddle, an ancestral discipline of our community has allowed us to strengthen the influence of France abroad, thanks to the exceptional results of our athletes on international competitions.
This surfboard allows new practitioners to discover a fun physical activity accessible, the pleasure of skiing, consistent with our societal commitments.
The French Surfing Federation has structured the development of Stand Up Paddle for about ten years, has trained a professional and versatile coaching, has accompanied athletes at the highest level.
The universality of this practice, the values ??of our universe that make up the DNA of Stand Up Paddle, the image used constantly on many communication media, the quality of organized competitions, are consistent with the criteria of the 2020 agenda.
The IOC could consider including Stand Up Paddle in the Olympic Games program.
This perspective consolidates our desire to strengthen our training sector and promote this discipline throughout our national and overseas territory.
But it also arouses a particular interest for the boating family.
The International Canoe Federation and the International Surfing Association (ISA) are in the procedure phase at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will arbitrate with great kindness this ubiquitous situation.
Pending the recommendations of the IOC, ISA is organizing the 2018 World Championships next November in Brazil.
The French Surfing Federation is preparing this deadline with the desire to transform it’s world second place in the world title.¨
Fuente: Fédération Française Surf