Date: Oct 7-9^th 2023

Location: Busan Gwangalli SUPrise Beach

The World Class event that brings together SUP Pro athletes, spectators and SUP enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate the sport of stand-up paddle boarding is returning to Korea!

After the success of the 2022 Busan SUP Open, the first international SUP competition held in Korea which is a true benchmark in the history of the sport, the KAPP brings back the APP WORLD TOUR BUSAN SUP OPEN event in 2023!

With SUP races and events such as the opening ceremony, beach yoga, SUP dog, drone show, beach party and more, this 3 days’ SUP festival is packed with activities providing the opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves or just to experience and have fun!

We interviewed David Leitao the International Operations Manager at the KAPP, to find out more about this SUP mega event in Korea:

Aloha David, thank you very much for your time. We all saw the pictures from the Busan Open 2022 and were very impressed about the show you are able to put on. Let’s talk a bit about the SUP culture in South Korea. Can you tell us more about where the enthusiasm in your country for SUP is coming from?

Hello Mike!

When comparing with other countries in Europe or even with closer ones like Japan, you can see that SUP is more developed than in Korea, but we believe that the sport and community will grow and we are working towards that goal.  

The 2022 Busan SUP Open was the first international SUP competition organized in Korea. Before that, nationals could only participate in local competitions or had to go abroad to participate in international ones. Having the KAPP organizing this first world class event in Korea has been a major step in the development of the sport, the growth of the community and the increase of the sport’s exposure. 

Organizing such an event comes with great challenges, on top of which we had to deal with the Covid restrictions that were still implemented and an unexpected typhoon that swept away the event site just few days before the start of the competition.

Despite the challenges and difficult conditions, the event has been a great success and we keep receiving very positive feedbacks from the athletes, partners and sponsors. We are very pleased everyone enjoyed that first edition and seeing that our hard work is being recognized motivates us even more to keep pushing to develop SUP in Korea!

People were really excited with the first edition of the Busan SUP Open and we are expecting that more will join this year!

We see many pictures with SUP races for all levels of ability, just like in Europe a festival style SUP Event seems to be the key for participation and excitement. Korea moves into the SUP spot light once a year can you tell our readers more on what is going on in the SUP Sport in Korea apart from the Busan Open?

The 2023 Busan SUP Open is actually the second time the KAPP organizes a competition event in Korea this year. In May, we organized the Asian Championship on the Han River in the heart of Seoul, with athletes coming mainly from neighboring countries and from the middle east.

(Opening ceremony with a drone show in 2022)

Our plan is to organize two main international SUP events a year and besides the competition side, the KAPP is working on developing all the different disciplines and aspects of the sport such as athletes training, SUP level and trainer certifications, SUP related tour programs, SUP Fitness, Sup Surfing and more!

The APP has been present in Asia for a while now. Can you tell us the history of KAPP? What is KAPP and how did it get started?

The company that supports the KAPP, named Dreamscorp, has a more than 30 years in the sport field industry in Korea, and expanding towards water sports has been a natural path.

The KAPP (Korean Association of Paddlesurf Professionals) has been created as a partnership with the APP to develop SUP and host international competitions in Korea under the APP World Tour banner. 

Our vision is to become a leading force for the sport across Asia, to not only set a new standard for international and national events in the region, but also develop solid foundations for the sport’s future development at every level. Our visions are perfectly aligned and we are excited for what the future holds in Korea.

As mentioned in the beginning, you guys put on quite show for the athletes and spectators, what can we look forward to this year?

SUP is an accessible sport and as such, we want to reflect that in the competitions and events we organize so that there is something for everyone, whether they want to participate, experience or just enjoy the show!

The entire festival we are preparing revolves around SUP and its lifestyle. It will start with a full opening ceremony show before moving to the racing part that will include technical sprint, distance and team racing for all levels from kids, amateurs to pros with a total prize money being around 27,700 euros.

Besides the races, the KAPP is giving the opportunity to participate in SUP Clinics that will be conducted by the 2022 men’s World Champion Connor Baxter and 2022 Busan SUP Open Champion Rai Taguchi, so that you can refine your technique and get ready before the start of the competition.   

Among other activities, lucky draws, a dedicated drone show on Saturday night, a beach party on Sunday night and even a SUP dog event on Monday (national holiday) will be part of the festival.

Who will be the big athletes to look for in October?

Travelling in 2022 was still very difficult due to restrictions and we are expecting more athletes to participate this year, with Connor Baxter, Rai Taguchi, Daniel Hasulyo and Korean athletes Choi Ji Won and Han Sung Ho having confirmed their participation.

For athletes that have not decided yet if they should make the trip. What are they missing out of if they don’t show up this year?

Last year edition of the Busan SUP Open gives a good idea of what the event looks like and the feedback from the athletes that were here speaks for itself but besides participating in one of the biggest SUP events filled with races for every level and activities open to everyone, it is the opportunity to discover Korea, its culture, food, people and the stunning Gwangalli beach and its iconic backdrop bridge!

The event runs over 4 days from October 6^th to the 9^th with the racing competition taking place on the 7^th and 8^th. Registrations will stay open via the KAPP website (kappworldtour.com) until September 24^th and for those that have questions, the KAPP team and myself will be happy to help. See you in Busan!

Thank you very much for your time. We look forward to continue our coverage of the Busan Open.

Thank you Mike and hope to see you in Korea anytime!      

Its a pleasure, coming to your event some time would be a real treat.

2023 APP WORLD TOUR BUSAN SUP OPEN - Stand Up Magazin