South Devon has hosted the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) World Cup event for the first time, with organisers hoping it could pave the way for a future World Championships.

The five-day competition, held in Torbay from 24 to 28 June, attracted elite paddlers from across the UK and overseas.

Many competitors were aiming to strengthen their rankings ahead of the ICF SUP World Championships, which will take place in Italy later this year.

Running alongside the World Cup was the SUPer Festival, now in its third year, which offered races for paddlers of all abilities.

Among those competing was Crispin Jones, founder of Waterborn Hub CIC in Kingsbridge, who said weather conditions presented an early challenge.

"In the run-up to the event, we had some fantastic weather, but the high pressure brought north-easterly winds which created wind and ground swell in the bay," he said. "It wasn't too much of a problem for experienced paddlers, but it definitely caused concerns for those racing for the first time."

Thunderstorm warnings forced organisers to cancel course practice on the opening day, but Friday's sprint races went ahead as planned.

Competitors launched from a floating pontoon before racing 100 metres through choppy water towards the beach, where they finished by running between marker flags.

Crispin said the difficult conditions resulted in several competitors falling from their boards, but praised the event's safety teams.

"Local water safety teams from River to Reef Water Safety expertly monitored the racing and made sure proceedings were well looked after," he said.

Saturday featured technical races and SUP Polo, a fast-paced team sport played on inflatable paddleboards using specially designed paddles to pass and shoot a ball into floating goals.

After delays to the polo competition, spectators gathered in Torquay's Inner Harbour to watch the action.

"The sun was shining, and Torquay was buzzing with visitors who were treated to the spectacle of paddlers, showing that paddleboarding doesn't just have to be a leisure activity," Crispin said.

Crispin competed for the Waterborn Warriors, whose preparations had been limited as they had not played together since last year's tournament.

The team recovered from trailing 3-0 at half-time in their opening match, with Crispin scoring three second-half goals to earn a draw.

They eventually finished third overall, narrowly losing to defending champions Bears of Fury and former champions Bluechip Raiders.

"We looked to enjoy the day playing with friends from around the country," Crispin said. "There are always things to improve, but there's always next year."

The event concluded on Sunday with distance races of either 8km for World Cup competitors or 4km for festival entrants.

The courses took paddlers around Torquay Harbour before heading towards Paignton and back to the finish on the beach.

Local athletes enjoyed strong performances throughout the weekend.

Marie Buchanan, from Salcombe, claimed gold medals across all disciplines in her ICF age group, while Crispin won the SUPer Festival distance race overall.

Cathy Regan, Beckey Wrighton and Helen Ambler also secured podium finishes.

Organisers hope the event’s success will strengthen Devon’s case for hosting more major international paddleboarding competitions in the future.