Increasing youth participation in stand up paddleboarding in New Zealand is extremely high priority for NZSUP, for the following reasons:
- SUP is a fun and engaging activity for youngsters
- Engaging with youth is a great way to grow the sport at grass-roots level
- It gives an excellent opportunity to drive home vital safety messages
- It gives an opportunity to talent-spot and identify those who might be keen to get involved in competition.
- It fits in with the current emphasis from Sport New Zealand on targeting youth participation in sport.
Because various clubs and organisations around New Zealand are looking to create or expand their own youth paddling programmes, NZSUP has established a specific Youth Board Class and event format, to aid and simplify the development process. Â
