In recent years, outdoor water sports such as paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, etc. have emerged from the “niche” label and become a new choice for mass leisure and fitness. With the widespread dissemination of information related to outdoor water sports on social media platforms, these sports have attracted a large number of netizens’ attention with their unique charm and healthy lifestyle.
Although autumn has already begun, the weather is still accompanied by the residual heat of summer. Can the hot trend of water sports, fueled by high temperatures, continue during the transition of solar terms?
The “water drifting” sport has quickly become popular. Previously, during the summer season, the “water drifting” sport quickly became popular nationwide and became the preferred outdoor activity for many young people and families.
Rowing on the water has provided me with a different perspective to see the city and constantly discover new scenery. The most attractive thing about paddleboarding is that it provides me with a way to get close to nature, while integrating the fun of exercise, relaxation, and exploration. “said a beginner paddleboarding athlete, expressing her love for this sport in her words.
On social media platforms, a “paddleboarding craze” is quietly emerging. The discussion on the topic of paddleboarding has continued to rise this summer, from “bringing paddleboards for summer” to “a must play for water sports enthusiasts”.
Paddleboarding has sparked a craze on social media platforms.
The threshold for ‘water drifting’ sports is relatively low and easy to popularize. Since June, I have been receiving inquiries related to paddleboarding every day, and everyone’s enthusiasm for these water sports is also increasing, “paddleboarding coach Mr. Liu told reporters.
A few years ago, paddleboarding was considered a niche outdoor sport in China. The popularity of this sport this year, as well as its widespread popularity, is closely related to the promotion of netizens on social media platforms. “Andy, the head of a paddleboarding club in Beijing, told reporters that although the sport is easy to learn, it is recommended to exercise in safe waters with the accompaniment of professional coaches.
After the attention to paddleboarding, the number of reservations for related experiential activities is also increasing. Our paddle boarding experience activities have increased from two per day to three to four per day, but still struggle to meet market demand. Currently, our weekend paddle boarding experience activities require reservations at least two to three days in advance, and some popular time slots require reservations about a week in advance, “Andy said.
People actively participate in paddleboarding, triggering a wave of consumption
In 2021, paddleboarding began to rise in China due to its simple equipment, low requirements for field conditions, and easy operation, gaining popularity among people. The Water Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China has also established a level system for surfing (paddleboarding) sports. Throughout the year, multiple coaching training courses are organized, and a large number of skill coach certificates and sports level student certificates are issued to promote the popularization and development of the sport.
Playing with children has become a new way for many parents to take care of their children. Currently, paddleboarding has become a popular choice for teenagers and families with children, and related equipment has shown impressive sales performance in first tier, new first tier, and coastal cities. Among them, inflatable paddleboards are particularly popular among consumers due to their portability.
On social media platforms, netizens’ check-in and sharing have gained fans among young people who love to play. The relevant person in charge of Decathlon said that since 2022, the sales of paddles began to grow, and the sales of related accessories also increased by more than 200%. The rapid development of the domestic water sports market highlights the enormous market potential behind paddleboarding.
This year, paddleboarding has quickly become popular in China, standing out from the current diversified water sports and becoming the “new favorite” of young people on the water. With the hosting of various sports events, the popularity of paddleboarding is constantly increasing, allowing domestic brands such as Molokai, Waterlife, Aqua Marina, etc. to successfully “break through” from the industry. The popularity of paddleboarding not only drives the sales of related products, but also promotes the development of sports tourism and drives the enthusiasm for summer sports consumption.
The support of national policies and media promotion, coupled with the easy to learn and user-friendly nature of paddleboarding, have led to a wave of popularity in the consumer market, making it a popular leisure sport with great development potential.
Or become a phenomenal industry track
Paddleboard sports are becoming a new force in the niche sports consumer market, accelerating the development of new industrial tracks. According to research data from Zhongyan Puhua, the market size of China’s water and outdoor sports industry will reach 574.205 billion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 13.19%. It is expected that by 2027, the market size will grow to 1082.398 billion yuan. The market size of China’s water and outdoor sports industry is continuously expanding.
The popularity of paddleboarding is due to its low threshold and high fun, and more and more people are starting to easily participate in this sport. This can also be seen from the popularity on social media platforms. For example, on Xiaohongshu, the total views of the “paddleboard” topic have exceeded 190 million, with a total participation of over 141300 people. Many popular notes have received over 10000 likes, including venue recommendations, sports teaching, sports dressing, and other aspects, which have sparked a lot of discussion among netizens.
The booming sport of paddleboarding is showing a trend of becoming a phenomenon level popular sport like skiing and camping, which is driving the rapid development of the paddleboarding related industry chain on the consumer end. From the growth of the water sports equipment market, it can be seen that the sales of boats such as kayaks, rubber boats, surfing boats, as well as life-saving equipment and diving supplies are constantly increasing. This summer, the domestic paddleboard market has heated up, and the order volume of some enterprise factories has significantly increased compared to before, highlighting the urgent demand for paddleboard production in the current market.
Overall, with policy promotion and positive market response, paddleboarding has the potential to activate the “phenomenal” sports industry, and is expected to further popularize in China in the future, moving from a niche market to mass life and becoming another popular national sport after running and cycling.
In terms of the industrialization of paddleboards in China, the founder of a company in Weihai stated that after realizing the huge market potential behind paddleboards, their company shifted its focus to paddleboards since 2013. He estimates that the domestic paddleboard manufacturing industry may reach a scale of 10 billion yuan by 2032.
Li Ruilin, the chairman of the China Water Skiing, Diving, and Motorboat Sports Federation, is also optimistic about the development prospects of paddleboarding. He stated that the establishment of a level system for surfing and paddleboarding has greatly promoted the development of surfing projects and expanded the number of participants in the projects.
The development of domestic paddleboarding and industrialization is receiving increasing attention and expectations. It is worth looking forward to whether paddleboarding can continue to become a new hot spot for sports consumption next summer.
Leave a Reply