International Life Saving Federation

INTERNATIONAL LIFE SAVING FEDERATION

Gemeenteplein 26 - 3010 Leuven - Belgium Tel: +32/(0)16 89 60 60 – Fax: +32/(0)16 89 70 70 E-mail: [email protected] - Web: http://www.ilsf.org

To the ICF Board of Directors To the ILS Board of Directors To the Member Federations affiliated to the ICF To the Member Federations affiliated to ILS To the IOC President and Sports Directorate To the Sportaccord President and Board of Directors To the ARISF and ASOIF Presidents and Board of Directors

Leuven, 20 June 2010

Dear friends,

It came to our attention that the International Canoe Federation (ICF) is claiming the ownership of the surf-ski races (which they sometimes call ocean kayak but they also use surf-ski races which is an ILS protected name) and are organising events that are similar to those events our federation has done for over 80 years. They are using the ILS protected name and similar boats.

In the past the ICF acknowledged the ownership of surf-ski to be an ILS event and equipment. The new leadership in the ICF is now claiming that all paddle sports belong to the ICF. The ICF is offering surf-ski championships. This is in competition to the long standing ILS and ILS member federation’s surf-ski championships.

In the past we had appropriate collaboration with the International Canoe Federation and above all respect of each other’s events. We exchanged information and worked well together. Much to our disappointment this has recently changed. We attempted to meet with the ICF President at Sportaccord 2010 but were unable to achieve any progress in our effort to regain a collaborative relationship.

We launched an official complaint to the IOC, Sportaccord and ARISF. We request the ICF to not use our protected name, our registered and protected boats and our competitors and to remove our history from their website and stop giving the impression to the world that it is an idea of the ICF while in fact it is a simple and inappropriate copy of what we are doing for more than eight decades.

We add to this letter: - Some images of surf-ski competitions in the past and now, for those from the ICF that do not know what is a surf-ski.

Please be informed that the National Canoe Federations in the United Kingdom and Australia are not in agreement with the move of the ICF and have signed with our members a Memorandum of Understanding in which they acknowledge that surf-ski races are the ownership of the ILS and not of the ICF. In those nations there is a national collaboration on surf-ski events.

Considering the above, we have no concern that the ICF organises ocean races with ocean kayaks and ocean canoes. We find it inappropriate that they use our protected name, our patented boat, our event and our competitors.

We request the ICF to not use our protected name, to not use our registered and protected boats and our competitors. We request collaboration and cooperation that provides mutual benefit to our athletes and our sports.

We thank all addressees for their understanding and wish collaboration in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Harald Vervaecke PhD Secretary General

PREAMBLE

The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) is an IOC Recognised International Sports Federation that is also voting member of Sportaccord, ARISF and IWGA.

ILS was established in 1910 and is now representing over 30 million lifesavers and lifeguards in over 130 countries. It celebrates this year its 100th anniversary. Our competitions have one objective: the preservation of human life in the aquatic environment. Sports competitions are organised under the motto « fit to save a life » and it is in this context that our championships must be seen. Lifesaving sport has both sports and humanitarian goals.

ILS is recognised by the IOC as an International Recognised Sports Federation and by the World Health Organisation from the United Nations as a non-governmental organisation.

ILS and his members are organising sports competition in pool and beach/ocean lifesaving since 1894. The competitions organised in the ocean include surfboats, surf-ski’s, inflatable rescue boats and other crafts, initially constructed and designed by ILS for those competitions. IOC Member Phillip Coles was a surf-ski champion in our federation.

The surf-ski competitions are held in national and world championships since 1932 and the boats used in the events have evolved from sit-on-top rescue board to highly sophisticated racing boats. The design and specifications of the boat as well as the events are defined by ILS in its Sports Regulations.

With this craft, ILS is organising:

 Single surf-ski events for both men and women.  Double surf-ski events for both men and women.  Surf-ski in the Oceanman events and Oceanwomen.  Surf-ski in the taplin race for both men and women.  Long distance surf-ski ocean races varying from 5 to 150 km, one of the most known is the Coolangata surf-ski race.

COMPLAINT TO THE INTERNTIONAL CANOE FEDERATION

We have issued a letter to the ICF stating, amongst others, the following:

Surfski (by the way the name is protected by ILS as is Oceanski) is a boat invented and conceived by ILS, not by ICF. It is a long surfboat transformed into a competition machine, not a kayak. It initially was called rescue board and we changed the name into surfski. The Surfski races are practised in our federation for over 80 years, even before you knew these boats existed. We have a record list of surf skiers and thousands of people all around the world have and are competing with this boat. As written above, it was initially a rescue board on which a lifeguard was sitting and moved forward with paddles to be faster to the victim. The board was progressively transformed into the shape it has at this moment. The shape and form as well as the specifications of the boat are protected by ILS.

In the last year we have seen a Portugese company (named Nelo) who just copied our boats and tried to sell them in the lifesaving market. They were by the way trying to sell their boats at the last Australian National Championships, with moderate success. When we asked them how they would sell their product in Europe, they told us that they were working through the ICF to try to have an event there with the Nelo boats. They started to organise events with their product in Portugal in order to save the company sales. The championship they

To now call it a new event from ICF and to give the impression on the web site that you have invented a new discipline is not only incorrect but certainly a proof that the ICF is not aware of what is happening worldwide. Surfski races are organised by our federation and vary from surfski races in the surf (no wonder that it is called surfski) to long distance races (ocean ski), the best known is the Coolangatta Gold Race and the South African race you mention on your web site. Surfski is indeed organised in warm coastal regions like South Africa, California and Australia but by our federation and not by the ICF. We have surfski races also in our Oceanman events, in our Tapling relay events and, may be something new for you, we also have double surf ski races and mixed double surfski races.

On your web site you indicate clearly and we quote: From 1946, Surfskis entered the lifesaving competition programme and, over time, the boats became much narrower and quicker. Initially a surf life saving sport, Ocean Racing started with short distance races of 700m but with developments in boat design, people started to go further out to sea and Ocean Racing as we know it today began in earnest.

You agree on your web site that initially it is a surf lifesaving sport. It still is a lifesaving sport event and we did the development of the boats, not the ICF. Above, you give the impression that it no longer is a lifesaving event and became a ICF event. Such is untrue and mis- leading.

We continue quoting your website: The first Ocean Racing event was in 1958. The 46km- long Scottburgh to Brighton race in South Africa has been held every year since. The longest race is the Port Elizabeth to East London race in South Africa (known as the Southern Shamaal). This 240km race is run every year since 1972. Now, every even year features an individual race, every odd year a team event. Probably the most famous of all is the Molokai Race in Hawaii. 60km of racing in the beautiful Pacific waters, the Molokai run since 1976.

With the above sentences you agree that the event is ours and you just quote our events as if it is yours. Such is not quite appropriate, to say the least.

We continue quoting your web site: A Surfski is a long, narrow, lightweight kayak with an open (sit-on-top) cockpit, usually with a foot pedal controlled rudder. They are generally 5- 6.5m (16½-21ft) long and just 40-50cm (16-20") wide.

Above you give parts of our protected specifications. ILS not only invented the boats, we streamlined them, we added the foot steering systems and not the ICF.

You indicate also that: In the beginning Surfskis were like surfboards, laminated in light wood and sometimes covered in fabric. By the 1960s production had moved to polystyrene foam strengthened with wooden stringers and thin layer of fibreglass. But as the sport grew in the 1970s production moved with the use of moulds. Moulds were made from the most successful Surfskis and replicated into glass fibre which was much cheaper.

The above is telling the world the history of the boat lifesaving made and giving the wrong impression that it all was from the beginning related to ICF. We deplore this. In 1970 the ICF was not even aware that we had these boats.

We have indeed launched a written complaint to Sportaccord and the IOC on the matter. Writing that nor Sportaccord, nor the IOC is the right organisation to appeal to is again a sign that the ICF is not fully aware of the tasks and responsibilities of Sportaccord and the IOC.

International Life Saving is a member of the General Association of International Sports federations (GAISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA). International Life Saving is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Organisation (IRC) and the World Health Organisation of the United Nations (WHO). We read with pleasure that you are not asking us to stop practising our sport. A sport we are doing over 60 years. We are the sole Olympic Recognised Federation for lifesaving sport and have in this capacity the same rights as you have. You can of course use our equipment and our event as a promotion of lifesaving sport. Taking our equipment and our event and considering it an ICF property is not proper behaviour.

Writing that and I quote: Surfski is central to ICF activities as the main propulsion method and equipment is a kayak. We understand that you have surfski activities but these are a tool for your sport not a central aspect of your activities. It is like Triathlon use bicycles but they don’t control cycling. This is again a proof on the little understanding by ICF of the world of sport. A surfski is not a kayak, it is a surfski, originally a long surfboard. Surfskis are not a tool for our sport, it is a boat and a name invented by us to do our sport. We have the impression that you think that all sports with a paddle is belonging to your federation. Would all sports with a racket (badminton, tennis, …) belong to one federation? Your last sentence gives the impression that you are the organisation that control surfski sport. Nothing of that is true. We patented and control the event, the boat and the sport.

We are the sole IOC recognised federation that is entitled to have World and Continental Championships in Surfski races, we are the sole organisation that is entitled to use the protected name Surfski and we have the patents on the boat specifications. We have Surfski races in Europe and also in the other continents. We have unfortunately for Nelo no races in Portugal yet.