Inside SUP World Rankings: Tibor Hasulyo on Revolutionizing Stand-Up Paddleboarding Metrics

The SUP World Rankings have been a hot topic within the stand-up paddleboarding community, providing a platform to showcase the sport’s top athletes and their achievements on an international stage. To better understand how these rankings are determined and their impact on the sport, we had the privilege of sitting down with Tibor Hasuyo, the creator of SUP World Rankings. This interview was conducted to gain clarity on the rankings they are publishing and to provide the SUP community with insights into the methodologies and vision behind this influential project.

What inspired you to create the SUP World Ranking? Could you tell us a bit about how the idea came to life?

To help readers understand my motivation for launching the SWR, it’s essential to know my family background, which immediately sheds light on the core of it. I earned a Master’s degree in coaching and teaching at the Hungarian University of Physical Education, where I met my wife, Csilla, who holds two Master’s degrees from the same institution and is the founder and head coach of SEPA. We have two sons, Daniel and Bruno Hasulyo, who are SUP World Champions, and they likely need no introduction to SUP enthusiasts. When my sons became professional SUP athletes in 2014, I followed the sport’s development with great interest. Their active participation in international competitions highlighted the shortcomings of the ranking system that was then managed by Chris Parker.

Chris used the following criteria:

• He pre-determined the scoring system for competitions based on a value system he and the sponsors established. This didn’t always reflect the true value of the competitions.
• He ranked all types of races (long-distance, technical, sprint) in a single table, which also distorted the picture. These two fundamental issues skewed the objectivity of the rankings. What Chris was great at, however, was broadcasting the competitions with extensive experience. I believe he knew the most about the SUP athletes of that time.

But I felt that the SUP World Ranking needed to be done better, especially if we were to call it a world ranking that represented titles, rankings, and value

Encouraged by my wife, I began seriously considering creating a new, mathematically-based ranking system that would be independent of sponsors and federations. The name SUP World Ranking was actually coined by Bruno. Since Hungarian scientists and mathematicians are world-renowned, in the spring of 2018, I reached out to some of the best mathematicians from Hungary’s top universities to help develop a ranking system for the sport of SUP.

Could you explain how the SUP World Rankings system works? Which metrics are the most important in determining an athlete’s rank?

The calculation of individual points is a two-step process:

1. First, the value of the competition needs to be determined after the event.
2. Based on the competition’s value, the athlete’s result in that event can be calculated.

The first step in the SUP World Rankings system, as mentioned above, is determining the point value of the competition. This can only be done objectively after the race has finished, ensuring a solid foundation for the numerical calculations. When we launched in 2019, three components determined the point value of the competitions (knowing we would expand this once we had more data):

• Number of participants,
• Prize money,
• Number of nations represented.

In 2020, we expanded the three components to include the value of the top athletes. The percentage distribution of these values can be found on the SWR website, and trial calculations can be made by adjusting the figures. This allows event organizers to see how valuable their event will be.

The number of participants in a race is a key factor. We had to set a minimum number of participants that would reflect the quality of the competition without hindering the growth of smaller SUP communities. Since the SWR is a global system, we can’t only rank major events, but we also didn’t want to become a list of small, casual weekend races. Based on the statistical data of races from 2015-2019, we set this minimum at 40 participants (note that for Ultra Distance races, this number is 15).

Another very sensitive issue is the ratio of men to women, and based on this, we had to establish a fair scoring system. We can’t ignore the fact that men dominate the sport of SUP. While people can debate why this is and how it could be changed, the numbers speak for themselves. In nearly 90% of SUP races worldwide, there are twice as many men at the starting line as women. But there’s an even more striking statistic from the 2024 races: out of 157 races considered, in 38% (59 races), the number of female participants did not reach 10.

That’s why we need to use a separate scoring system and not evaluate female athletes in the same way as men. This adjustment allows women to appear in the SWR and score points in races where there are only 6-10 female participants.

The point systems are calculated based on complex and fixed mathematical formulas, which cannot be randomly altered for any specific race. That would not be fair or just.

How are the races chosen for the ranking? Do race directors need to submit the results? For example, it seems that the Alabama 650 is not included in the Ultra Distance category.

It’s important to note that the SWR operates under strict rules that cannot be randomly altered. SWR ranks 14-foot, hardboard, adult category races only. There are no exceptions to this. For instance, just as you can’t compare apples to pears, I can’t compare the results of unlimited boards or tandem boards with the 14-foot class.

Also, it’s crucial to emphasize that the SWR is free for every event organizer! This is a key point, as we don’t want to exclude any race that can meet the minimum requirements for ranking. Over the past five years, I’ve built a long list of race organizers with their names and contact information. I send SWR newsletters and other updates to everyone on this list. The Event Calendar shows more than 300 events annually, and I can evaluate and rank almost 200 races from these.

In response to your question, about half of the race organizers send the results to me, and for the other half, I have to gather them from the internet. Evaluating a race takes a minimum of 2 hours, and sometimes there are 6-10 races in one weekend. It would be a huge help if every race organizer understood the importance of submitting the result lists. This benefits both the races and the athletes.

Regarding the Alabama 650:
The Alabama 650 is one of those races that doesn’t meet the minimum number of participants required to be listed. Additionally, for UD (Ultra Distance) races, I only evaluate results achieved on 14-foot boards.

The ranking calculation also considers prize money. Since SUP has historically been a sport with low prize money, can you share some details about this? (For example, Chattajack, one of the largest races in the U.S., offers no prize money.)

Let me approach this question from a broader perspective.
Currently, SUP athletes are supported by their families and themselves. Unfortunately, in most cases, we can’t say that a certain athlete belongs to a specific team, brand, or country. This is unethical from the athletes’ perspective, as neither teams/brands nor countries provide adequate financial support for professional-level athletes to compete. And this doesn’t even take into account the younger or beginner athletes.

In sports, including SUP, one of the most critical factors in determining the sport’s future growth is the size of the prize money and the issue of professional athletes’ livelihoods, which is why this cannot be ignored when evaluating races and calculating rankings.

If we can’t offer decent prize money to athletes and present an attractive and healthy career path through professional SUP athletes, the sport won’t grow. Without iconic athletes, there will be no new generations, no mass participation in SUP, and it will remain a recreational sport. It’s essential to understand this because for professional athletes, this is their job, and if they aren’t paid properly, there won’t be anyone to promote SUP.

Currently, race organizers face enormous challenges because bureaucratic rules and regulations make race organizing difficult. They collect entry fees, but their expenses eat up the profits. Board manufacturers either can’t or don’t want to pay athletes properly. Sponsors are not rushing in because the crowds at events are too small for them to effectively target with their advertisements. Over the last 10-15 years, no federation has managed to get SUP into any sports TV broadcasts.

SUP enthusiasts are chasing the Olympic dream, but in my opinion, if a sport can’t sustain itself on a business basis, it doesn’t need to go to the Olympics.
New and innovative ideas and long-term, carefully thought-out strategies are needed to attract investment into SUP and achieve sustainable growth.

What is your vision for the platform over the next few years? How do you envision its development?

The SWR is growing every year. The viewership stats of my website and the internet reach metrics are increasing steadily. Developing a global ranking takes a long time and a lot of work. It’s a system based on stable values that can’t be achieved in just a few months. Trust and recognition need to be earned in a world where everyone looks out for their own interests, and while many are quick to criticize, few actually take action. When I started, I was well aware that SWR would not be liked by everyone, and I would face attacks. However, I believed in it, and I still believe that an independent, statistics-based system is necessary; otherwise, we cannot properly evaluate and appreciate the work of athletes, coaches, and race organizers.

For 2025, I am expanding the tables with new developments. The statistics have led me to not only prepare the end-of-year consolidated TOP 100 ranking but also to evaluate athletes by category.
Thus, on December 21, 2024, the following lists will be published:

• TOP 100 OVERALL based on athletes’ 10 most valuable races (this will determine their value in the 2025 races).
• TOP 100 DISTANCE based on athletes’ 6 most valuable long-distance results.
• TOP 100 TECHNICAL based on athletes’ 5 most valuable technical race results.
• TOP 100 SPRINT based on athletes’ 4 most valuable sprint race results.

From January 2025, the ranking system will change. For the past five years, we have aimed to showcase athletes’ activity through their participation in races. This is why, during the year, we summarized points from every race to determine rankings. The consolidated TOP 100 list only revealed the true rankings within the sport at the end of the year. This was a deliberate decision in previous years to promote SUP and encourage local races and athletes’ efforts. From January, only the best six results in each category will count toward the rankings. This means that each athlete’s top six results will automatically be included. After that, the seventh result will automatically replace the weakest score if its total score is higher than the previous one. Therefore, the current ranking will always be determined by the six most valuable scores in each category (LD, TC, Sp.). Of course, to ensure clarity, we will make a development on the SWR website, so everyone can view all their results alongside their name. This will be accessible by clicking on the name.

Looking back over the past 2-3 years, it’s clear that SUP races and athlete participation have declined in the USA and Australia, with over-50 athletes dominating the races. Europe is stagnant, and only in Asia is there growth.
By 2025, the SWR will also be available in Chinese, and I will work to include as many Asian races and athletes as possible in the tables.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for SUP as it grows internationally? How can the SUP World Ranking help grow the sport?

The information collected on the SWR website, the rankings, the individual athlete result lists, and the race point evaluations all provide a foundation for the SUP sport that can be built upon and accessed by everyone for free. Board manufacturers can consult it when building teams to see what athletes have achieved over the years. Coaches can use the Event Calendar to plan annual race schedules and align their training periods accordingly. Race organizers can check which weekends others are hosting events to optimally position their races.

I could list more opportunities, but even from this, it’s clear how important a comprehensive and independent evaluation system is for the sport of SUP.

I believe the following are the biggest challenges in our sport:

1. Attracting young people to the sport. This is not just difficult in SUP, it’s a global issue; we struggle to get kids away from their phones and computers. I would highlight the responsibility of parents here because the family is the only force that can change this. If parents don’t set an example, it’s hard to motivate the children.
2. Training of professionals. To my knowledge, there is currently no university-level SUP coach training. Why do we assume that athletes who win a few world championships automatically become coaches and teachers? Demonstrating a movement and teaching a movement are not the same thing! The current practice is that either athletes or enthusiastic SUP fans with instructor qualifications from 2-3 day courses are the ones teaching. There are no textbooks, no developed educational methodology. SEPA has already started working on this. SEPA has scientifically formulated and documented the basic SUP paddling technique. This provides a foundation that can be followed, imitated, and taught. SEPA instructor training is launching soon, where they teach future SUP instructors how to teach, not just how to demonstrate a movement. This is a huge qualitative difference! The number of clubs doing professional work with real experts is very low.
3. We need an independent SUP Federation and Athletes’ Advocacy Organization. We need to give a framework for event organizers on what can and cannot be done, so that SUP races are fair and popular. The rules for courses and starts need regulation too. In some countries, a 3 km race is already considered long-distance, while in others, there are 6-8 km technical races, and some sprint races involve dodging buoys. This is not the right direction. The sport of SUP is still in its infancy, and it is up to us to steer its development in a healthy direction.
4. The price and quality ratio of SUP boards and paddles. The current market is characterized by prices that are too high and quality that is too low for the cost. Until recently, there weren’t suitable boards and paddles for children and juniors. If kids have to paddle with 1-2 kg aluminum or plastic paddles on 15 kg boards because that’s what’s affordable, they won’t enjoy the sport. The BR1 brand is doing pioneering work in this area. They have already introduced an unbreakable, affordable, hollow race board made from special plastic, plus affordable, lightweight carbon paddles. This is a huge opportunity for clubs and teams to order SUP gear in bulk, enabling them to get everyone on the water. Let’s not forget that Bruno, as a former world champion and professional athlete, knows exactly what, why, and how to improve SUP equipment. So, BR1 SUP gear really helps in the popularization of the sport.

I believe all the issues I mentioned need to be addressed for SUP to grow. It’s important to note that only sports that grow in a pyramid structure can survive. At the bottom, you need a broad amateur base, lots of young people, and participants of all age groups. At the top, you need professional athletes who can make a living from the sport on a commercial basis, supported by the businesses surrounding the sport.

I hope my answers have made it clear what motivations and conscious decisions led to the creation and operation of SWR.

Thank you Tibor for sharing this informative look inside of Sup World Ranking!

At Aloha Athletics, we aim to share diverse perspectives and insights from across the stand-up paddleboarding community, and while we may not align with every aspect of SUP World Rankings’ methodology, we appreciate their efforts to bring structure and visibility to the sport. This interview is intended to inform and educate, fostering dialogue and understanding among paddlers and enthusiasts alike.