APP World Tour Update

Despite the ongoing complications caused by Covid-19 across the globe, the APP World Tour is excited to announce the confirmation of an August start for the 2021 season. Come rain, come shine, the APP are committed to delivering a full World Championship Tour with plenty of paddling action in some of the world’s most iconic cities and venues.

We have adjusted the schedule for the 2021 tour to cater for the complex global situation. Some locations have been withdrawn from the schedule where it was impossible to host an event in the current circumstances and have been replaced with brand-new locations, never seen before on Tour.

Although we are disappointed at the postponement of some of our landmark events for this year, (they will be back in 2022) the amendments made to the schedule have enabled us to deliver five race and three surf stops for the 2021 season that are set to provide the World's Best Athletes with a phenomenal and well-rounded challenge in their quest for the World Title.

Racing

The racing season will consist of five events across the year, hosted in an exciting blend of both urban and beach locations.

1. Spain (6th - 8th August)

2. Switzerland (13th - 15th August)

3. Secret location (Final date TBC)

4. Maui, Hawaii (14th - 17th October)

5. Paris, France (3rd - 5th December)

The Racing Tour will commence in August, launched by two inaugural European stops. The prestigious World Tour opener will be hosted in Spain followed by the second stop in Switzerland. The exact locations will be announced at the end of April, but we can promise dramatic landscapes and action-packed paddling to kick off the year in style.

From Switzerland, we will be moving on to the third location, which is yet to be announced, but is scheduled for September as it stands, but with current circumstances it might be moved back to November. Exact details and final dates for this exciting new location will be announced at the end of April.

The fourth stop will take place in the global mecca for downwind paddling: the beautiful island of Maui. We will then head back to our annual finale in Paris for the final of the Racing World Tour.

Unfortunately, the APP World Tour has been forced to withdraw London, Osaka and San Diego from the 2021 calendar, due to current Covid-19 restrictions on events and travel. The APP will return to these locations in 2022, with agreements already in place for the coming years, so you don’t have to say goodbye to these iconic cities just yet.

Surfing

There have been a few important changes to the surfing schedule for 2021, but we are still committed to delivering three stops of the Surfing World Championship Tour.

1. Secret location (Date TBC)

2. Las Palmas Gran Canaria (20th - 28th November)

3. Sunset Beach, Hawaii (18th - 28th January 2022)

The Surfing Season will kick off in a secret location yet to be announced. This event will be in conjunction with stop number three of the racing tour and is scheduled for September time, but like the 3rd stop for racing, might move back to November due to current circumstances - this will be confirmed at the end of April.

After an exciting start at a brand-new location, we will embark upon our annual pilgrimage to the familiar ground of Las Palmas Gran Canaria to mark the end of the calendar year and crown European Champions.

After being forced to cancel the event last February, we are incredibly excited to announce our return to Sunset Beach in January 2022 for the finale of the Surfing Tour. The event will provide the opportunity for the best in the world to fight it out for the world title in the prime season on the North Shore, promising a dramatic climax to the season.

We are disappointed to announce that Tahiti has been withdrawn from the 2021 schedule due to Covid-19 restrictions, while Portugal is still pending, but not confirmed either way, so we will confirm by the end of April. Either way, we look forward to returning to both the European and South Pacific paradise in the future.

Entries

All events will feature open, unrestricted entries to allow participation at every level, from Pro-Am down to entry level and fun racing, in accordance with and subject to any Covid restrictions in each region. Entries for these races and surf events will open early May.

Wildcards

The APP had planned 5 major Qualifying events for the 2021 season, but all of them have been pushed back until later in the year due to current Covid Restrictions, except for the 12 Towers in Australia. This event will run from the 21st - 23rd May and provide qualifying spots for the APP World Tour in 2021. Outside of this regional qualifier, we are awarding the final spots on the tour through a wildcard process, with all candidates to be screened by the APP Committee, led by Race Director, Anthony Vela, based on track record, racing history and commitment to the Tour.

We have been impressed with the incredible applications received from athletes across the globe and the winners of these wildcards will be revealed at the end of April, so keep an eye on your inbox and to those who have applied – Good luck!

The APP World Tour is working hard to ensure each event is Covid secure and are taking every precaution possible to ensure that the show can and will go on in 2021! We look forward to seeing you there.

Keep up to date with all tour announcements on Social Media and at APP World Tour and post any questions you have in the comments.