Staceys compete in Standup Paddling Worlds 

Father and son duo Danny and Ahonwakerane Stacey were in Sarasota, Florida, last month for the International Canoe Federation’s 2024 Standup Paddling World Championships – something Danny was not even sure he would go to before booking his flight early in the fall.

“It was a bucket list trip,” said Danny. “I actually was jostling this summer. ‘Should I go? Should I not go? Is this a bad idea?’ I ended up seeing that other people were going that I knew. I booked a hotel sometime in the summer, and I still wasn't sure.”

Finally, he made up his mind and went to Florida with his son – and does not regret it one bit.

While the 68-year-old paddler and his son did not medal in their respective age groups, Danny said he is still proud of their accomplishments at the November 20-24 event.

“He raced in the open class, which means he raced the top paddlers in the world. I raced the top paddlers in the world that are 50 years old and over, which is quite a challenge for me, because I'm not 55, I'm 68,” said Danny. “So, to go against that calibre of athletes, it was an awesome experience.”

Danny trains a few times a week, while his son has only been able to paddle a few times in the months prior to the championships due to his work commitments.

“He went there with basically no training, but just to get the experience, and hopefully it'll inspire him to continue now. But his work schedule, everything else is just too busy. He can't put the time I can since I'm retired,” said Danny.

There are currently no national teams for standup paddling, meaning qualification was not necessary for the World Championships. Still, the event attracted many very experienced paddlers from around the world – such as Danny and Ahonwakerane – and high-level athletes from other disciplines.

Danny, for example, was in the same age group and raced against 1984 Olympic gold medalist in canoeing Larry Cain.

Next year, the World Championships will be in Abu Dhabi, which Danny said he will probably not go to because of the prohibitive costs among other factors – but he is eyeing the 2026 World Championships in Italy.

He said that another factor in wanting to go to future World Championships for him is the introduction of an over-60 division.

“I could be top 10, top five in the world. Who knows? At some point they might contact me and give me a number. They won't give me a result specifically for that, they said. But hopefully they can say, ‘Okay, you came 12th,’ or whatever. That would be interesting to know, especially since they said they are going to have 60 and over at Abu Dhabi next year,” said Stacey.

To him, being able to continue paddling with his son and sharing the moment together after all these years has been truly special.

“We've raced a lot, in many places. One of the first races I've done with him, he was only four years old, in New York State, and we actually won the race, father and son. We beat other fathers with their 14-year-old son, and mine was only four. He's really good at it, he just has a knack for racing,” said Danny.

“He was my support. I have an injury where it's difficult for me sometimes on the board because I tore my Achilles a few years back, and it's never been the same. He helps carry the board. He's always there cheering and videoing me doing all kinds of stuff. We've done so much together, and now this is another one that we've done together.”

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