People dressed as characters from fairy tales and cartoons took part in Fontanka-SUP, a stand up paddleboarding (SUP) festival, in central St Petersburg, Russia, last Saturday.

The event, which was into its seventh edition, saw a record 5,000 participants.

Besides festivities and fun, there was also a 7.5km race on the river and even a wedding.

SUP is a water sport in which participants stand on boards that float on the water and use a paddle to propel themselves forward.

This activity can be traced back thousands of years and across continents in the form of rafts and punts.

But its current form originated from and was popularised in Hawaii in the 1900s.

There are many benefits to taking up the sport.

Constantly trying to keep your balance on the board helps to strengthen and tone the core muscles, as well as those of the arms, legs and feet.

The activity can even help to burn fat if you paddle at an adequately high intensity.

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