The International Surfing Association has taken a new step towards resolving its conflict with the International Canoe Federation (ICF) over the SUP dispute and leaving the conflict to be resolved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the ISA reported in a press release.

The conflict began in 2016 when the canoeing federation expressed its interest in taking over the discipline, claiming that it belongs to them. It then went through a stage of conversations between the organizations and finally instances of mediation with the arbitration court.

Since no agreement was reached in any of these approaches, the ISA unilaterally approached the aforementioned court for a decision on the matter.

“The ISA has always been committed to working in the best interests of athletes, the Olympic movement and the sport of StandUp Paddle, and as such, we want to resolve this matter so that the important work of growing SUP around the world continues uninterrupted, as it has since day one in 2008,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

“After regrettably being unsuccessful in our efforts to find a solution through CAS mediation, the ISA has now submitted the necessary documents to CAS to initiate arbitration proceedings. Ultimately, athletes are the most important aspect of any sport, and we will continue to do everything we can to serve their interests. We believe that ending the current dispute through CAS is a sensible way forward and we look forward to a swift resolution, for the good of the StandUp Paddle community.”

“The ISA has been the long-standing governing body of StandUp Paddle, proudly supporting the growth of the sport over the past decade. The CAS process can now provide clarity on how this growth can best continue,” he said.

Some related notes:
The position of the canoe federation on the conflict

The ultimatum that the ISA had sent