Paddleboard National Championships held in Michigan

DETROIT — The USA Stand Up Paddleboarding National Championships took place in Michigan this year, held July 18-20 at Belle Isle and Wyandotte. Officials said the weekend event was a success for both the community and USA SUP organization.

There were a handful of competitions during the weekend, including 100-meter sprints, technical races and 10k distance races. All events were held at either the Wyandotte Boat Club or on Belle Isle Beach.

“Detroit and the Belle Isle location have a very, very long history with paddleboard racing,” said Harrison Withers, a member of the USA SUP Board of Directors and event organizer for the 2025 national championship. “And to be able to tack onto an existing event that has its own pretty rich history in Detroit … kind of adds to the legitimacy of stand-up paddleboarding.”

This was the third USA SUP national championship. The location has moved each year, with the first two championships taking place in Long Beach, Calif., and Hilton Head, S.C. in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

“Before USA SUP and the national championships, there was no one single definitive event in our sport,” Withers said. “We’re coming to the Midwest (this year) because paddleboarding is a sport that people enjoy on all kinds of different water. It’s not just the surf-related locations. … We don’t just paddle on the coast; we paddle throughout the country.”

The sense of community is something that USA SUP was excited to bring to Detroit. Officials say the paddleboarding competitions are truly for everyone.

“When we have events like this, there might be somebody … that doesn’t know that paddleboard racing is a thing,” Withers said. “If we can show folks that it’s more than just paddling around for a few minutes, and that you can actually build community and make some friends … that’s the greatest impact we can really have.”

The star of the show was paddleboarding legend Seychelle Webster, who ended the weekend with three gold medals and a silver in what was her first time paddleboarding in Detroit.

“Personally, I’m thrilled. … It went extremely well,” Webster said. “Being one of the best in the country is a huge honor … and I’m training to be one of the best paddlers in the world.”

Webster has been paddling competitively for about a decade now and has seen the growth of the sport right in front of her eyes.

Having a national championship for paddleboarding is something that paddlers don’t take for granted. The title can open the door for even bigger opportunities.

Webster said that the championship series provides an official path for athletes in the sport. The 2025 series was deemed a success with strong viewership all weekend. It was also a success for USA SUP, with a new region of the country now following the sport.

“One of the things I love about this sport is all the different places it can take you to,” Webster said. “Belle Isle was gorgeous. … It had all the different elements you’d look for in a stand-up paddle race.”

For more information on USA SUP, visit usasup.org, or follow “usasupofficial” on Instagram to track future competitions.