It hasn't taken long for the sport of stand-up paddling to stand up and be recognized.

Around 40 stand-up paddlers are expected to enter the QuiksilverEdition Moloka'i to O'ahu Paddleboard Race Sunday. That's about 40 more entries than there were three years ago.

"I expected there to be a growth, but probably not as big and fast as this," stand-up paddler Todd Bradley said.

The QuiksilverEdition race was created for paddleboarders in 1997. The 32-mile race across the Kaiwi Channel is considered the world championship of long-distance paddleboarding.

A separate division was created for stand-up paddlers in 2005.

"There were five of us who wanted to do it that first year," Bradley said. "So to see the numbers jump this fast really says a lot about the sport."

The difference between paddleboarding and stand-up paddling?

In paddleboarding, the competitors lie or kneel on the board and power it with arm strokes — like paddling a surfboard.

In stand-up paddling, the competitors stand on the board and power it with the aid of a canoe-style paddle.

"I think stand-up is a little easier than paddleboarding," Bradley said. "Standing up is a more natural position than lying down. After I paddleboard, my neck and back are tweaked."

In 2006, Bradley, Brian Keaulana and Mike Fox created the C4 Waterman company aimed at the growing sport of stand-up paddling. The company will sponsor the prize money for the stand-up division at Sunday's race.

"Our whole goal is to promote the sport," Bradley said.

Most of the competitors in the stand-up paddling division will enter as partners Sunday. For example, Bradley and Keaulana will enter as a team and alternate on the board throughout the 32-mile course.

A few, however, will attempt it solo, including Waimea Bay lifeguard Vitor Marcal.

Marcal has completed the Moloka'i race on a paddleboard several times, but Sunday will be his first attempt as a stand-up paddler.

"I'm thinking it's going to take six to seven hours," said Marcal, 42. "The first half of the race should be fun. The second half, maybe not so much. That's where you have to keep a strong mind."

Marcal said the advantage of standing up is significant, especially in a race such as the Moloka'i.

"It really is beautiful," he said. "When you go over the reefs, you can look down and see the fish. Then you look up and see the mountains. And for this race, you can see where you are going and see where the other (competitors) are. When you are lying down, it's hard to see anything."

In any case, Marcal said he expects the sport to continue growing because of its versatility.

In addition to stand-up paddling races, surfing contests for stand-up paddlers have been created in recent years.

"I see all kinds of people doing it now — mothers, children, elderly," he said. "It is so much fun. Once you start, you want to keep going."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.