Up Suping #50 english version by Up Suping

50 UP SUPING Stand Up Paddle & Foil

UP SUPING Stand Up Paddle

UP#50 AUGUST 2026

www.upsuping.com DIRECTOR Nico Arnedo info@upsuping.com

DESIGN Nico Arnedo

COVER | BACK COVER Up Suping

Reproduction in whole and in part of the texts, photographs and drawings published in this issue is strictly prohibited unless expressly agreed with the publishers. Supp Suping is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the collaborators or texts or photographs that reach our hands without being sued.

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We’ve been covering Stand Up Paddleboarding on the national and international scene for over a decade. Travelling, sharing memorable moments that we post on our digital platforms, and witnessing the growth of this sport first-hand...

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UP#50 edito by Nico Arnedo | @nicodinovo_sup 50. Fifty. What a staggering figure! I never would have imagined that our digital magazine would ever reach this milestone. It never even crossed my mind back in 2011–2012, whilst I was paddling a few kilometres to Castro Urdiales to meet Nagore, with whom I set out on this great digital adventure. The idea was always for Up Suping to be yet another magazine offering information on stand-up paddleboarding on a global scale, focusing primarily on the Spanish-speaking world. It was the right time to do it, and we were incredibly lucky to have amazing contributors, who are still with us at Up Suping to this day. Without them, we’d never have reached 50. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Being part of this sport’s growth at just the right moment across Spain, and especially in my home region of Cantabria… filled me with so much energy and passion, which I not only shared with my family and friends, but also channelled into creating something as meaningful to me as Up Suping. And if it hadn’t been for that passion, given the moments of uncertainty and financial doubts in the SUP market… we really wouldn’t have reached 50. But here we are, and rest assured we’ll keep going in pursuit of a hundred! 4

Y si hay algo que pretendía para este número, además de los reportajes habituales de eventos, entrevistas y artículos de interés a nivel global; fui en busca de personas muy queridas y con amplia experiencia para que nos aporten vivencias, puntos de vista y conocimientos que siempre nos vienen bien aprender. Hablo de páginas que te lleguen a sumergirte en una agradable lectura, y estoy seguro de que lo conseguiremos. No quiero que el número ¨50¨ le pese a esta revista, debe ser una más y que se fusione con tus números preferidos; aunque si es verdad que la portada es toda una señal de intenciones para celebrar este gran momento. And now all that remains is for me to thank you, dear reader. Whether you’ve been with us for a month or throughout Up Suping’s 14-year history, reading every single issue and following us across our various channels. You are the driving force and the reason we’re still here. And I haven’t forgotten all the brands that have made it possible for us to get this far; they put their faith in us, and we’ll always be there to keep taking SUP and Foil to new heights. And finally, thank you to my family for always believing in Up Suping. I love this, and we’re going for more. Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome to Up#50! 5

UP#50

summary 8 Laura dal Pont 16 Cesurf 20 The Doctor´s Spot 26 ESL - Part 1 34 SUP Mera Festival 40 Tarifa Festival del Viento 46 The Director 58 Filippo Mercuriali 64 ESL - Part 2 72 Muria Chiquero 80 Flaying again 90 24 hs . 805 km

2026

CALENDAR

Do you want to participate in a competition? In our calendar you will find events in Spain and rest of the world.

¡Go to www.upsuping.com!

“I try to look on the bright side of things; even when something goes wrong, there’s always something to be learnt from it.”

LAURA DAL PONT Up Suping

S.Evans|B.Reed|P.Jiménez

LDP The first time we saw you paddling was in the waters of Denmark,, China, during your first ISA World Championship back in 2018. And just a few weeks ago, you competed at EuroSUP in Salinas, Spain. Looking back, what comes to your mind when you think about everything you’ve experienced over the years? Wow, time really flies! It’s been almost ten years and I still remember every detail of those first Worlds as if it were yesterday. If I stop and think about all the things that have happened since then, I’m really amazed. I was just a kid back then. I had no idea that this sport would take me around the world, and I certainly couldn’t have guessed how much it would change in the meantime: the level, the equipment, how professional everything has become. I grew up right in the middle of it, so I only notice how far it has come when I stop and look back.

S.Evans

We always ask our guests how and where they first discovered Stand Up Paddle. So, we’d love to hear about your own beginnings. How did your SUP journey start? I started paddling in a very random way. My dad is a windsurf lover, so my siblings and I spent every summer on the Adriatic coast learning to windsurf, even though that stretch of sea isn’t exactly famous for its wind! Then one summer we tried SUP at a camp in the US and came home wanting to do it again. We didn’t even have SUP boards, so we bought a paddle and used our old windsurf boards. Eventually my dad found some proper boards and discovered there were races we could enter. And that’s how it started.

Tell us a little about where you live in Italy, where you usually paddle, and what keeps you motivated to enjoy this sport more and more every day. I grew up paddling in Cavallino, in the Venetian Lagoon. It’s perfect for SUP race: flat water and an amazing landscape that completely changes with the seasons. Later, when I moved to Porto to study, the Douro became my training ground. At first, racing was what really drew me in: travelling, discovering new places and meeting people. Many of them are now some of my closest friends, far beyond SUP. What keeps me going is that it never gets boring. You can do it anywhere, and you can do it with anyone: friends, family, someone trying it for the first time. One day I go out on flat water, the next there’s wind, the next I’m chasing waves, and I switch between SUP race and surf depending on the mood. It’s almost like a game. And let’s be honest: you’re at the beach, you’re in the water… it’s the dream sport. Today paddling has become part of my lifestyle. Even if I stopped competing tomorrow, I know I wouldn’t stop paddling.

P.Jiménez

You’ve been part of the Italian National SUP Team for many years. What have you learned from being part of the team? And how do you see the new generation of paddlers coming through thanks to the great work being done by coaches and clubs? It’s strange to say at 23, but I sometimes feel like a veteran. I joined the team as one of the youngest, and the older athletes taught me so much: even simple things, like taking care of my equipment and being ready when something goes wrong. Now I find myself doing the same with the younger ones. And that’s what I love about the Italian team. You may be alone on the board, but then you hear your teammates screaming from the beach and see the Italian flag waving, and suddenly it doesn’t feel like an individual sport at all. Today there are so many talented young paddlers training together, with great coaches and much more knowledge available. It’s exciting to watch.

S.Evans

B.Reed

If you had to choose... SUP Surf or Race? Or couldn’t you possibly choose just one? Tell us why. I started with SUP Race, then did both for years, and I think right now I’m in my SUP Surf era. The feeling of a wave picking you up and pushing you is amazing: the satisfaction of closing a difficult manoeuvre, the adrenaline it gives you. But I still paddle regularly with the race board and couldn’t imagine giving it up. It’s my way of switching off after a long day, a bit like going for a run, but much more fun. The conditions are almost always good enough, and it fits whatever time you have. And not to mention the technical races! Waves, buoys, decisions all at once — the courses are genuinely fun. So no, I can’t choose. 12

LDP Which competitions have helped you grow the most as an athlete? Is there one in particular that has had the biggest impact on you, both technically and physically or mentally? The one that marked me most was the Junior technical race at the 2019 Worlds in El Salvador. It was the first time I’d seen waves that big. Conditions where either you position yourself perfectly, right on the peak, or you don’t catch the wave; and if you get it wrong, it puts you through the washing machine. I remember my first day there, being genuinely scared of throwing myself in.

Then, in the race at the first buoy, I got caught under one of the buoy cables. I couldn’t get free and lost a huge amount of time. But I didn’t give up: I went after the other girls one by one and came back to finish third.

Of course, I could have done better without that buoy. but it taught me more than a clean race would have. I knew I had to give everything in order to catch up, I had to put my fear aside and breathe. I ended up handling those conditions really well, and today they’re exactly the ones I love most.

Tell us about your training sessions and your SUP Surf sessions in Portugal. What kind of progression have you noticed in your surfing over the years? I moved to Porto at 17 to study, and I stayed in Portugal for five years. That’s where my surfing really changed, simply because I could get in the water a lot more often. It meant seeing far more varied conditions and learning how to read them and adapt. And it also allowed me to move to smaller boards and start surfing more radically.

I was lucky to have a teammate, Leonard Nika, living in Peniche, so any time I could I’d go and spend a few days surfing with him. I still try to get back to Portugal whenever possible. I think it’s the perfect playground for anyone who wants to improve their skills. If you love surfing at sunset, that’s your place!

When you’re paddling with beginners or children taking their very first strokes, what advice do you usually give them? A lot of people arrive convinced they’ll never manage to stand up, so the first thing is to take that pressure off. Nobody needs to be good at it on day one. The other important part is making sure they never build up any fear of the water. With kids especially, you check that they can swim and that they’re safe if they fall, and once that’s covered they can just play. If they come out of the session smiling, that’s the job done.

We always see you smiling and spreading positive energy wherever you go, it’s almost your trademark! Where does that positive attitude come from? It comes from my family, I suppose. There are eight of us siblings and I’m the third. Growing up like that teaches you a lot. You’re never really on your own, and you always feel supported. We fight, of course, like all siblings do, but you learn pretty fast that nothing is that serious. And honestly, I don’t have many reasons not to be positive. Even when I catch myself complaining about something, I usually realise how lucky I am. I try to look for the good side of things, even when something goes wrong there’s always something to learn from it.

What would your dream SUP trip look like, and who would you love to share it with? Brazil, without hesitation. It’s a place I’ve wanted to go for years. It looks incredible for both surf and race, and for some reason I’ve never managed to organise it. Just imagine, surfing in a bikini and eating açai. Dream life! Whom with? My siblings, and friends like Cecilia, Alazne and Luchy, whom I’ve been racing alongside for years. Yeah, we just need to pick a date!

Finally, is there anyone you’d like to thank or give a special mention to before we finish the interview? First of all my family, and especially my parents, who have supported me from the very beginning and gave me the chance to do all of this. Secondly, the Italian Federation, which has invested a great deal in us athletes and keeps doing so. And of course my friends, who always believe in me and push me beyond my limits.

Alazne Aurrekoetxea and Guillermo Carracedo

2026 Spanish SUP Surf Champions

Up Suping

Fesurfing

This summer, the 2026 Spanish Surfing Championships took place in Pantín, Galicia, where the Spanish Surfing Federation brought together the best athletes on the national scene at one of the finest wave spots in northern Spain. After six days of competition, the championship concluded with the SUP Surf finals, alongside other disciplines. And although the conditions were quite challenging, with wind and changeable seas forcing the athletes to give their very best… it proved to be an excellent spectacle for the spectators watching the competition from the beach.

The great Guille Carracedo clinched his eighth Spanish Championship, once again confirming his extraordinary track record in this discipline. Manuel Hoyuela from Cantabria secured a solid second place ahead of Iván Puente and Joan García. After being crowned champion, Guille expressed his delight at continuing to compete at the highest level:

“It’s a huge dream come true for me. After so many years, I’m still here, still enjoying surfing and achieving good results. I can see some very strong young surfers coming through, but that also motivates me to keep improving. I got off to a strong start, catching two really good waves right at the beginning, and that allowed me to compete with confidence and really enjoy the final,” he explained at the end of the competition. 17

In the women’s category, Alazne Aurrekoetxea claimed the Spanish championship title following a superb performance in particularly challenging conditions throughout the women’s event. Iballa Ruano from the Canary Islands took second place ahead of Espe Barreras. The Basque rider commented:

“I’m really happy. I got off to a good start and in the final I was a bit nervous about the wind, because it makes it harder with the paddle. In the end, I managed to find some good waves and score well. It’s been a demanding championship, but we’ve managed to adapt,” she said after receiving the trophy. Here at Up Suping, we’d like to congratulate all the participants, friends and ‘SUPer’ families who made the trip to Pantín to give SUP Surfing the boost it deserves. We’d also like to thank Fesurfing, as we’ve received excellent feedback regarding the organisation of the event and the treatment of the athletes.

Pablo Codesido

C.Staddler

THE DOCT R´S SPOT 50 Fifty issues is quite an achievement for a specialist magazine, especially when we are talking about a minority sport that is constantly evolving. Stop for a few seconds, dear reader, and think about what that really means. Perhaps I am one of the people with a certain legitimacy to reflect on it, as I am the magazine’s longest-serving contributor. For me, the conclusion is clear: Up Suping is a treasure for the Stand Up Paddle community, especially during these uncertain times. It is the leading SUP magazine in Spain, and I would even go as far as saying that it holds that position across the wider Spanish-speaking world. And why not say it? The English editions have also played a key role in spreading the sport and giving Spanish SUP an international platform. Let’s remember that Spanish SUP is currently a global powerhouse and, 20

for many, a benchmark. It has not been an easy journey. The sport has faced plenty of challenges since its early days, many of which we have covered in this section over the years. Athletes, clubs, coaches, federations… everyone has played their part. But it is only fair to say that Up Suping has also contributed to the growth and success of SUP in Spain. A young sport needs guidance and organisation, but it also needs the elements that help it grow and gain visibility. Up Suping has covered the most important events taking place within the sport and has been a fantastic showcase for many athletes and organisers who see SUP as a way of life. International and national top-level riders have appeared throughout these pages. Its covers continue to be highly sought after by many. And Up Suping has also provided a platform for numerous brands and sponsors.

S.Evans

The magazine has dedicated space not only to spectacular photography, as many other publications in the industry do, but also to the written word. And by that I mean we have explored the different elements that contribute to the success of such an appealing sport. We have covered nutrition, psychology, technique, tactics, injuries… and, of course, the magazine has never lost the spirit of those publications filled with magnificent images, spectacular waves and dream destinations waiting to be explored. 21

When someone becomes interested in SUP, they look for information that can help them progress. And Up Suping has been there for that too. I have taken the liberty of calling it “our publication”, but it would be unfair not to acknowledge here the enormous amount of work carried out by the heart and brain of this magazine, Nico “Dinovo”. To have something, you have to start it. And to start something, you have to work. And not only that. If there is one thing that makes Up Suping special, it is that it has not been a short-lived venture that appeared with a bang and quickly disappeared. It has stood the test of time.

I am a doctor with a passion for sport, the sea and nature. It could hardly have been any other way. First, we talked about injuries, and now we offer that critical perspective that can sometimes be difficult to agree on, but which I personally believe is so valuable: conversation, debate, reasoning and constructive criticism are what help things move forward. For me, it is a real pleasure to continue contributing to the development of this sport. Fifty is a significant number in a person’s life. Those of us who have already passed the age of 50 compete for the satisfaction of finishing, of continuing to paddle, of feeling the wake of the sea beneath our board Hopefully, another 50 issues will follow. But I haven’t forgotten about you. After all, you are the ones who give life to this magazine with your visits, your reads and your support. At Up Suping, we will continue paddling alongside you.

ENSIS ROGER

Making Parawing Easier, More Intuitive and Lightweight Ensis

Parawing continues to gain momentum within the foiling world, and ENSIS introduces the latest generation of the ROGER, developed to make parawing foiling easier, more intuitive and more accessible, from first downwind runs to advanced foiling sessions. Featuring a compact single-skin design, the ROGER combines simplicity, efficiency and control in a format designed to help riders get the most out of every session.

Smooth Depower. Full Control. One of the key features is the new ENSIS Bow Bar, combined with a refined bridle setup that allows progressive and precise power adjustment. This provides confidence as conditions change and makes it easier to find the right level of power at any given moment.

Easy to Stash. Easy to Deploy. One of the main advantages of parawing is the ability to stash the wing once on foil, allowing riders to focus entirely on reading the water, linking swells and enjoying a greater sense of freedom. To make this transition as easy as possible, the ROGER features optimized bridles and shorter lines, allowing the wing to collapse cleanly and pack away quickly. Even after being packed away wet or crumpled, a small amount of tension on the bridles allows the canopy to regain its shape and become ready for take-off. 18

Ultralight, Stable and Efficient. The ROGER is built from premium 28 g/m² paraglider canopy material, delivering an incredibly light feel in the air while maintaining excellent stability, low-end power and upwind performance. ENSIS has developed this new generation for both riders discovering parawing for the first time and experienced foilers looking for simple handling and reliable performance.

A Step Forward in Foiling. With smooth depower, easy stashing, excellent upwind performance, an ultralight paraglider canopy, the new Bow Bar and exceptional stability in gusty conditions, the ROGER represents ENSIS’ approach to making the parawing experience increasingly intuitive. An evolution that reflects the direction of foiling itself: lighter, simpler and more efficient equipment that allows riders to focus more on the water, the wind and the freedom of riding.

WORLD SUP FESTIVAL SANTA POLA

The event brought together more than 200 athletes from 22 countries, including some of the top riders on the international scene. Despite challenging weather conditions, the competition was successfully delivered thanks to the work of the organising team, the safety operations in place and close coordination with institutions and partner organisations. ESL

From the first days of setup, the festival faced a complex scenario. Wind conditions intensified midweek and reached their most critical point on Thursday, with gusts close to 40 knots, significantly complicating logistics and delaying part of the setup. Nevertheless, the organisation managed to keep the event running as planned while maintaining the quality standards expected of the circuit. 26

Demanding competition and international spectacle Friday’s programme was marked by a particularly demanding sprint race, shaped by strong winds that created a dynamic and exciting spectacle for both athletes and spectators. After the sprint competition, the Downwind Foil race was held over a 10-kilometre course, with 12 riders taking part. Conditions of around 25 knots of wind and waves of up to 1.5 metres provided an ideal setting for this discipline, adding intensity, technical difficulty and innovation to the sporting programme.

On Saturday, after an unstable start to the day, the 5.5-kilometre middle-distance race was held, open to Open and U16 categories, as well as disciplines such as SUP Foil and prone. Later in the day came one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the festival: the flagship 15-kilometre longdistance race around Tabarca Island. With moderate winds of between 8 and 10 knots and a ground swell, the race took place in a spectacular setting, further enhancing the international appeal of this course.

The demanding conditions required several safety procedures to be activated. The GPS tracking system enabled real-time incident detection through SOS alerts, allowing immediate intervention by rescue teams in coordination with the Red Cross and support boats. On Sunday, the event concluded with the technical race. The day began in relatively stable conditions, but easterly winds gradually increased to 12–13 knots, creating a highly technical racecourse. The result was an intense and dynamic competition, with numerous changes of position, falls and a high level of sporting demand. 27

Santa Pola: sport, culture and community engagement The World SUP Festival stood out not only for its sporting programme, but also for its social and cultural dimension. Throughout the weekend, children’s races, free yoga sessions, introductory SUP activities and inclusive SUP experiences were held, reinforcing the event’s commitment to grassroots sport and participation for all audiences. The Feria Marinera, organised by the Santa Pola Traders’ Association, added further value to the festival with exhibitors, activities, concerts and a vibrant cultural atmosphere, becoming a meeting point between sport, maritime tradition and the local community.

A sporting, business and institutional platform During Saturday’s programme, international networking activities were also held, promoted by sponsors such as Convotis Iberia. A group of guests and clients had the opportunity to follow the long-distance race from a boat, enjoying a privileged perspective of the competition, before continuing the experience in the VIP area with networking and relationship-building activities. The Fundación del Deporte Ilicitano also played an active role by promoting a business breakfast that brought together representatives from the business and sports sectors, strengthening the links between sport, enterprise and institutions. These initiatives consolidate the World SUP Festival as a platform that goes beyond competition, generating opportunities for professional connection, territorial promotion and international visibility.

Commitment to sustainability The event once again integrated actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, including the use of medals made from recycled materials such as wood and metal, T-shirts made with recyclable materials and electric boats to help reduce emissions. The use of single-use plastics was also eliminated through the installation of filtered water stations in collaboration with Manantial, encouraging responsible consumption among participants and attendees. Support for local commerce, inclusive activities and the promotion of grassroots sport further strengthened the festival’s social impact.

Key podium results

In the sprint event, the winners in the elite category were Bianca Toncelli in the women’s race and Sergio Cantoral in the men’s race. In the long-distance event, the elite titles went to Espe Barreras and Shuri Araki. In the technical race, the elite victories went to Alba Alonso and Shuri Araki. The event also saw strong participation in the junior, masters and kahuna categories, reaffirming its inclusive, competitive and multi-generational nature.

LIDO GANDOLI SUP RACE

TARANTO

The European SUP League held the second event of its 2026 circuit in Taranto with the Lido Gandoli SUP Race, an event that once again highlighted the growth of Stand Up Paddle in Europe and Italy’s ability to host top-level international events. ESL

The event brought together athletes from different categories during a weekend marked by a high competitive level, good sea conditions in the beach area, and solid organisational work. The Italian race represented another key stop on the European SUP League calendar, following the season opener in Santa Pola, and helped define the first sporting benchmarks of the circuit.

Taranto rises to the organisational challenge The European SUP League would like to give special recognition to the entire team of Club SUP Academy, whose involvement was essential in making the event possible. The organisation highly values the response received after the effort involved in hosting an ESL event, both from the athletes and from the clubs, partners, volunteers, and attending public.

The joint effort made it possible to deliver a well-managed competition, reinforcing Taranto’s position as a venue with great potential within the European SUP circuit. Local involvement, athlete care, and coordination throughout the different days were key to the smooth running of the sporting programme.

Demanding competition in Technical Race and Long Distance The event featured both Technical Race and Long Distance competitions. The beach area offered very good sea conditions, encouraging fast, technical, and highly contested races. In the long-distance race, strong easterly wind gusts added an extra level of difficulty to the course, making the circuit more demanding and testing the endurance, strategy, and technical skills of the participants. The combination of favourable sea conditions and intense wind turned the competition into a complete challenge for all categories. In the Technical Race, the elite victories went to Cecilia Pampinella in the women’s category and Donato Freens in the men’s category. Pampinella led the women’s podium ahead of Sveva Sabato and Claudia Postiglione, while Freens took victory in the men’s race ahead of Nicolò Vincenzo Ricco and Filippo Mercuriali.

In the Long Distance, the elite wins also went to Cecilia Pampinella and Donato Freens, confirming their outstanding performance in Taranto. In the women’s category, Pampinella was joined on the podium by Sveva Sabato and Claudia Postiglione; in the men’s category, Freens finished ahead of Nicolò Vincenzo Ricco and Filippo Mercuriali. The event also featured broad participation across youth, master, kahuna, inflatable, and ParaSUP categories, reaffirming its inclusive, competitive, and multigenerational character.

Federation support and sponsor commitment

The Lido Gandoli SUP Race also received the support and participation of the Italian Surfing Federation, whose presence helped consolidate the event and strengthen the role of Stand Up Paddle within the Italian sporting landscape. The European SUP League would also like to thank its sponsors and partners for their commitment: Convotis, NSP, Black Fish, and Quickblade, Treasute AI y Muller Property brands that continue to support the development of European SUP and the construction of a competitive, international circuit with strong future prospects.

A charitable closing with the Blue Race The event concluded with the Blue Race, a charity race that provided the perfect closing touch to the Lido Gandoli SUP Race. This initiative reinforced the social character of the event and brought the Taranto stop to a close with an open, participatory activity aligned with the values of community, sport, and commitment promoted by the European SUP League. The Blue Race added a special dimension to the end of the weekend, reminding everyone that Stand Up Paddle is not only about competition, but also a tool for social connection, awareness, and collective participation.

Taranto strengthens the European calendar With this second event of the season, the European SUP League continues to consolidate its sporting project in Europe. The Lido Gandoli SUP Race leaves a very positive overall balance, both because of the level of the athletes and the involvement of the local organisation, as well as the support received from institutions, sponsors, and partners. The European SUP League once again thanks Club SUP Academy Taranto, the Italian Surfing Federation, Convotis, NSP, Black Fish, and Quickblade, as well as all athletes, clubs, volunteers, and everyone who made the event possible. Taranto thus closes an event marked by competition, collaboration, and charitable commitment, confirming itself as a venue with great capacity to continue growing within the European Stand Up Paddle calendar.

Up Suping

C.Staddler

VII SUPMERA PRO FESTIVAL

On June 27 and 28, Mera Beach once again became one of the major stages for national Stand Up

Paddle, hosting the VII SUPMERA PRO FESTIVAL. The event brought together athletes from different parts of Galicia and Spain to compete across three of the most spectacular SUP Race disciplines: Sprint, Long Distance and Technical Race. Organised by Club SUP Mera, the festival continues to establish itself as one of the must-attend events on the national calendar, thanks to the perfect combination of organisation, sporting level and the privileged setting of Mera Beach, in Oleiros. During two intense days of competition, spectators enjoyed a great show on the water, with races counting towards the PRO League of the Spanish Surfing Federation and the Galician SUP Race League. The event brought together some of the best specialists on the national scene, alongside a strong participation from the young talents of Galician SUP.

A SATURDAY MARKED BY SPEED AND ENDURANCE

T he competition got underway on Saturday morning with

the Sprint races, the most explosive format in SUP Race. The great atmosphere was already evident from early in the morning as competitors, families and clubs from Galicia and other parts of Spain began arriving at the beach.

Short, explosive courses with several heats produced plenty of exciting racing that could be followed perfectly from the shore. The support from spectators never stopped, especially for the younger athletes, who put on a fantastic show both on the water and throughout the event. In the Elite women’s category, Mallorcan paddler Duna Gordillo took a convincing victory, while in the Elite men’s category Iván Puente claimed first place, followed by Aarón Sánchez and Lluís Perotti, all showing excellent form at the start of the weekend.

T he SUB18 category also delivered some great racing, with Aetz Ibarloza taking the men’s victory ahead of Nacho Iglesias. In the women’s category, Lucía Mella was the fastest paddler, ahead of Laura Area, Adriana Fernández and Claudia Méndez, respectively. In the afternoon, it was time for the Long Distance race, a discipline where strategy, endurance and effort management are crucial. Strong wind conditions forced the Elite course to be shortened, although this did not prevent the athletes from delivering a high-level competition. Iván Puente once again stood on top of the podium after an excellent race, finishing ahead of Galician paddler Antón Sans and Mallorcan Lluís Perotti. In the women’s category, Galician athlete Laura Area took the victory ahead of Claudia Méndez. The strong performance of the Master and Grand Master categories also deserves special mention, with competitors fighting until the very end despite the demanding wind conditions that marked Saturday afternoon. The younger categories once again provided plenty of highlights throughout the day, confirming the excellent moment currently enjoyed by the Galician youth scene and the continued growth of SUP Race in recent years.

TECHNICAL RACES PROVIDE THE PERFECT FINALE

Sunday was dedicated to the Technical

Race, probably the most spectacular discipline for spectators thanks to the proximity of the courses to the beach and the constant battles between competitors.

The opening Elite men’s heats, together with the youngest categories, got the day underway. Buoy turns, beach runs, changes of pace and constant overtaking provided plenty of excitement for spectators throughout the morning. All of this took place under rainy conditions and much cooler temperatures than the previous day, but the weather did nothing to dampen the atmosphere on the beach. This time, Aarón Sánchez claimed victory in the Elite men’s category, once again demonstrating his outstanding ability in this discipline. He was followed by his teammate Lluís Perotti, with Galician paddler Iván Puente completing the podium. Meanwhile, Duna Gordillo once again dominated the women’s category, completing a perfect weekend by winning both the Sprint and Technical Race. Another highlight was Laura Area’s new podium finish in the SUB18 women’s category, ahead of Lucía Mella and Claudia Méndez, while Basque paddler Aetz Ibarloza took the men’s victory. Special mention must also go to Margarita Ferriol, who once again demonstrated an extremely high level, dominating her category throughout the entire weekend and reflecting the strong form currently being shown by the Master and Grand Master divisions within Spanish SUP.

A FESTIVAL THAT CONTINUES TO GROW

Beyond the sporting results, the VII SUP-

MERA PRO FESTIVAL once again demonstrated the excellent momentum behind Galician Stand Up Paddle.

The high level of participation, strong competitive field and fantastic atmosphere throughout the weekend confirm the growth of an event that has already established itself as one of the leading SUP Race events on the national calendar. With seven editions now behind it, the SUPMERA PRO FESTIVAL continues to grow year after year and has firmly earned its place among the must-attend competitions on the Spanish SUP calendar. It is an event that combines competition, youth development, spectacle and an atmosphere that makes it a date highlighted on the calendar by clubs, athletes and Stand Up Paddle fans alike. The work carried out by Club SUP Mera, together with the support of institutions, federations, sponsors and volunteers, ensured the smooth running of all the races and delivered a great experience for both the athletes and the large number of spectators who came down to Mera Beach. The VII SUPMERA PRO FESTIVAL was supported by the Spanish Surfing Federation and the Galician Surfing Federation, as well as by the Spanish National Sports Council, the Spanish Olympic Committee, the Xunta de Galicia, Oleiros City Council and the Provincial Council of A Coruña. The event also received support from numerous companies and collaborators, including Surfing.es, BYD Pérez Rumbao, 60 Ráfagas, Voar, El Pulpo, Rafa Gelato Artesanal, Ideo, Voces de A Coruña, Vegalsa-Eroski, Stadler Photo, Stadinho Media, Estudio Matadero, Up Suping, Spain SUP Team and Club SUP Mera, whose support remains fundamental to the continued growth and consolidation of the event.

3 Killas

Prendas paddlesurferas

Pedidos online

Camisetas • Sudaderas • Vestidos • Gorras • Totebag • Zapatillas • Tazas

@3killas3

659 308 878

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SWL

Lucas Tozzi

The Spain Wingfoil League and the Spain Kiteboarding League delivered sev eral outstanding day s of compet it ion in Valdev aquer os, bringing together the national and international elite in an event where w ind, spectacle and youth development were the main protagonists. 40

There are places where the wind is simply part of the landscape. And then there is Tarifa, where the wind is culture, sport and a way of understanding the sea. Once again, Valdevaqueros Beach became the meeting point for Wingfoil and Kiteboarding with the Tarifa Festival del Viento, an intense week of competition that hosted the tenth edition of the Spain Kiteboarding League and the sixth edition of the Spain Wingfoil League, bringing together close to one hundred riders from across Spain and several European countries. For five days, the new venue at Tumbao Tarifa was filled with high-level sporting action. But the event was much more than a series of heats. Riders, coaches, families and fans shared an experience that combined competition, learning and community through technical clinics, talks and additional activities that have become part of the identity of both circuits. It is a format that continues to focus on the development of younger generations and on building an increasingly strong community around wind sports.

The Levante takes centre stage again

After an opening day dedicated to training, registrations and educational activities, the wind began to blow with the intensity that makes Tarifa so famous. The Levante gradually increased in strength, exceeding 40 knots during the final days and providing conditions that were as demanding as they were spectacular for the Freestyle and Strapless disciplines. The conditions tested the technique and adaptability of every participant. As the competition progressed, the manoeuvres became higher and more radical, offering spectators one of the most spectacular championships of recent seasons.

Wingfoil continues to w rite its ow n story If one discipline once again captured everyone’s attention, it was Wingfoil Freestyle. The Spanish Cup brought some of the best riders on the international scene to Tarifa, including reigning World Champion Benjamin Kastenskiold and Junior World Champion Natan Berger, raising the level of competition from the very first rounds. In the men’s Open category, Benjamin Kastenskiold lived up to expectations by taking victory in a high-level final ahead of Leo Suardíaz, while Natan Berger completed the podium after once again demonstrating the enormous potential he possesses despite his young age.

The women’s competition once again had Sofía Ginzinger as its main protagonist. She retained her dominance in the Spain Wingfoil League after defeating Nia Suardíaz, an eight-time World Champion, in one of the most eagerly anticipated finals of the championship. Jara Herráiz and Sonia Barrios completed a classification marked by an extraordinary level of technical ability. There was also plenty to celebrate among the younger riders. Salvador Castel-Branco claimed victory in the U16 men’s category, while Sofía Ginzinger once again stood on top of the podium in the U16 women’s category, confirming her outstanding current form and huge international potential. 42

Beyond the results, the Spain Wingfoil League once again demonstrated the enormous growth of the discipline in Spain, both in terms of sporting level and participation, with young riders already competing head-to-head with some of the best specialists on the international scene.

Kiteboarding maintains an outstanding level

Although at Up Suping we do not usually cover this sport extensively, the tenth edition of the Spain Kiteboarding League once again confirmed the excellent form of Spanish kiteboarding. The Freestyle and Strapless disciplines produced some of the most spectacular heats of the entire week, particularly during the final days, when the Levante reached full strength and forced the riders to bring out their best technical repertoire. In men’s Freestyle, Rafa Montero successfully defended his Spanish Championship title after winning a high-level final against Sergio Turégano, Roberto Dellisante and Pablo Chasco, once

again confirming his status as a leading figure in the discipline at national level. In the women’s category, Claudia León once again stood on top of the podium after a final that even had to be postponed due to unstable wind conditions, reflecting the demanding nature of the championship. Alongside her, Vera Vázquez, Rita Pons and Naia Genty delivered a competition of an extremely high standard.

The Strapless discipline was once again one of the festival’s highlights, thanks to the participation of international riders such as Noah Nicolas, Keanu Merten, Johannes Sarny, Eva Lima and Tomasso Lazzari. These regulars on the top-level competition circuit raised the sporting prestige of the event even further. Noah Nicolas took victory in the men’s Open category, while Portugal’s Eva Lima claimed the women’s title.

The best young talent once again gathers in Tarifa One of the most significant figures from this edition was, once again, the huge importance of the youth categories within both circuits. More than 60% of participants were under-16 athletes, a figure that confirms the excellent work being carried out by clubs, schools and federations to ensure the next generation of riders in both Wingfoil and Kiteboarding.

This commitment to development is precisely one of the defining features of the event. The clinics held throughout the week, the interaction between athletes of different ages and the opportunity to share the beach with World Champions turn the Tarifa Festival del Viento into much more than a competition: it becomes a learning and growth experience for everyone involved.

Much more than a competition

The week-long collaboration between the Spain Wingfoil League and the Spain Kiteboarding League once again highlighted the enormous potential of this joint-event format. Wingfoil and Kiteboarding shared the same stage, audience and philosophy, demonstrating how both sports can benefit from coming together at the same event. With exceptional wind conditions, an established organisation and the participation of some of the best national and international riders, the Tarifa Festival del Viento once again delivered an outstanding edition, reaffirming Valdevaqueros as one of Europe’s great temples of wind sports.

BY FRED BONNEF AN The Beginnings in Board Sports

J.Houyvet Fred Bonnef

J.Houyvet | Les Ailes de Saint Tropez | EuroTour | supguide.com | @furaphotography

I was born in Normandy, France, in 1979, to parents who, alongside their respective jobs, dedicated all their time, money and energy to sailing and travelling. So it was hardly surprising that I spent most of my childhood aboard a sailboat before discovering my first great passion: windsurfing. From the age of 11 to 18, much to my disappointment, I had to live a much more urban life, far away from the sea, in Paris. But that didn’t stop me from pursuing what was, at the time and in my geographical situation, a completely crazy and unrealistic dream: To become a professional windsurfer. Despite the sceptical looks from those around me and from practically everyone I came across, that idea never left me. After a few years of uncertainty and seasonal jobs, I arrived in Tarifa in 2000 at the age of 19, without a penny to my name. Small jobs, living in a van, my first competitions, my first sponsors, and my first trips to South Africa, Morocco, Hawaii, Venezuela, Cape Verde…

At that time, despite achieving some good sporting results, I felt more like a freerider than a competitor. I learned how to satisfy sponsors, produce good images and write good stories, skills that would become extremely useful much later in my event-organising career. I quickly realised that a sporting career is not built solely on sporting results. You also have to stay constantly connected to the reality of the industry and understand its needs.

@furaphotography

One particularly significant, and frustrating, aspect of my windsurfing career, both in waves and freestyle, was that I would sometimes feel that I was being judged too harshly and, at other times, too favourably.

Interestingly, it was after achieving one of the best results of my career that I decided to leave competitive windsurfing and dedicate myself to a new passion that was beginning to emerge: Stand Up Paddle. I discovered SUP in Hawaii in 2006, after the famous Aloha Classic. Watching Laird Hamilton ride sizeable waves standing on a board with a paddle in his hands was a real revelation for me. I had one of the first SUP surfboards shipped over from Hawaii, shaped by Hawaiian longboard legend Bonga Perkins, and started practising relentlessly. I eventually competed in both SUP surfing and SUP racing, even winning European titles and finishing among the world’s top ten in some events.

@supguide.com

What particularly attracted me was the simplicity of racing: regardless of the conditions, or almost regardless of them, the race goes ahead and the first person to cross the finish line wins. Simple. And very different from the unpredictable nature of windsurfing. I also loved the adventurous side of SUP. I completed the first SUP crossing from the Balearic Islands to mainland Spain, as well as a round-trip crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar.

THE FIRST SUP DOWNWIND RACE EVENTS In May 2012, when I was at the sporting peak of my career, I suffered a very serious traffic accident on my way home from a competition in France. I sustained 18 fractures, most of them open fractures, my legs were completely shattered, and there was a constant threat of amputation.

A very long and dark period of my life began: 15 days in a coma, 35 surgical operations, a year and a half of intensive hospitalisation, three years of continuous rehabilitation and many more years of difficulties during which I was unable to practise my passion. It was during that period that event organisation entered my life.

Two people pushed me in that direction: legendary windsurfer Pascal Maka and Christophe Roquefere, one of the people responsible for the French Surf Federation. Despite my doubts, they encouraged me to make use of my knowledge of racing, competitors and sponsors. It was late 2013, and psychologically I was extremely fragile on the one hand, but also fierce and determined on the other. I needed a goal. I needed to think about something other than my situation, which at that time was catastrophic in every possible way. Organising events undoubtedly helped pull me out of depression, and probably from something much worse. My only requirement at the time was simple: I wanted to organise downwind races and I needed the organisation to provide me with the resources required to make them happen.

My first experience organising a competition was at the Mondial du Vent in France, a legendary windsurfing and kitesurfing event. There, I managed to secure a passenger transport boat that allowed us to take SUP competitors offshore or pick them up, depending on the wind direction. I organised the event for two consecutive years before organising the first French SUP Race Downwind Championships in 2014. It was a legendary event where two future world champions, Titouan Puyo and Arthur Arutkin, appeared for the first time. Later, the Fort Boyard Challenge organisation contacted me and asked me to organise a downwind race starting from a boat offshore. I organised this incredible competition for nine consecutive years, at one point transporting up to 150 competitors and their boards to create some truly epic downwinds.

At the same time, in 2016, I organised the Thonon SUP Race, the first SUP crossing between France and Switzerland and, at the time, the event with the largest prize purse in SUP racing history. All the world’s best competitors were there. The event was a success and, quite naturally, Belar Diaz asked me to become race director and logistics manager for the rest of the EuroTour events at the time.

THE EUROTOUR ADVENTURE Imagine being a race director one weekend in Alicante, Spain; the following weekend in Greece; the next in northern Germany; and the next in Finland, before returning to France for another event. And doing all of this by road and ferry, travelling with 100 fourteen-foot boards, a truck and a huge trailer. EuroTour

Imagine the fatigue, the stress, and the logistical, human and organisational problems that constantly need to be dealt with, not to mention breakdowns and problems on the road, conflicts, local regulations, cultural differences, competitors’ issues, the need to understand different weather forecasts, local climate conditions… and everything else.

Honestly, I don’t think I would be capable of doing what I did back then today. I have no regrets. Quite the opposite: I experienced extraordinary moments, both from a human and sporting perspective. But I also made many sacrifices and went through some very difficult periods, with huge responsibilities, during which I sometimes felt very alone and could rely only on my mental strength and resilience. On the other hand, I learned an enormous amount during that period, and it gave me tremendous confidence for everything that came afterwards.

THE FIRST SUP FOIL EVENTS I have always believed that it is better to develop a sporting event gradually, building on very solid foundations, rather than trying to create something huge from the very beginning. For a long time, I had been thinking about organising a good SUP foil downwind event. I already had experience organising SUP race downwinds, but I was aware of the very specific challenges involved in this type of event: different speeds, greater separation between competitors, fragile and delicate equipment to transport, and so on. That is why I decided to test different formats in real conditions before launching a specific large-scale event. I started by opening the Fort Boyard Challenge to SUP foil. During those same years, 2018 and 2019, we also opened some EuroTour events to the SUP foil category, particularly in Alicante and Cap de Creus. Years later, in 2023, I took part in the Maui to Molokai and Molokai to Oahu crossings and used the opportunity to promote the Crozon Foil Festival and bring international riders to a competition in France for the first time. That same year, I organised a small, invitation-only event in Saint-Tropez to test the formats, organisation, courses and so on. Today, Saint-Tropez has become the biggest downwind foil event in Europe and the first event on the Downwind Foil World Tour, whose organisation I am also involved in.

But none of this would have been possible without working and preparing step by step, building a database from an event that was initially limited to 20 people and then adapting it to a much larger number of participants. Today, we have more than 80.

So many things happen both in front of and behind the scenes. Honestly, there is enough material here to write a book. I have been fortunate enough to be involved, either as an organiser or race director, in so many incredible events that it would be very difficult to choose just one. Especially because I genuinely give one hundred percent of myself to every event. The first French Championships, the first editions of the Mondial du Vent and the Fort Boyard Challenge, the EuroTour events all over Europe, the SUP foil competitions… Sometimes the journeys between events have even been more memorable than the sporting event itself. Nevertheless, I am going to mention one that has been particularly satisfying in my more recent history: the 2024 SUP foil competition “Les Ailes de Saint-Tropez.” I had to work hard to convince some Australian, Hawaiian and other international competitors, who were used to taking part in prestigious events such as Molokai to Oahu, to travel to France, to a small town better known for its luxury and glamour than for its ocean conditions. Even some French riders were sceptical and unsure about coming. I had to show a great deal of patience and a strong ability to persuade people.

Les Ailes de Saint Tropez

But, using logistics based around large RIBs—a solution that was far from easy to secure and finance, believe me—we managed to take everyone offshore and ultimately organise what some people still consider to be one of the best downwinds ever held in competition. Later, some Hawaiian riders mentioned on various podcasts that it had been “better than Hawaii.” It was an enormous satisfaction, but also an enormous relief. 52

I don’t think participants are always aware of just how much risk an organiser takes and how much they put their reputation and credibility on the line at every event. Every competition involves an element of uncertainty, and behind every decision there is a significant responsibility.

We managed to prove that we were capable of organising major downwind events in Europe and offering the world’s best specialists an experience that could stand alongside the most prestigious competitions in the world.

THE KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL EVENT Well, let’s be clear: unfortunately, money is still the driving force. I have made many mistakes in the past and have ended up losing money organising events—on top of months of work and preparation—simply because the partners involved were not solid enough. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone. It is extremely frustrating and makes you question many things, including your confidence in yourself and in other people. So, to be clear, I strongly advise anyone against organising an event without being sure that they have their financial foundations covered. The organisational, sporting and logistical challenge is already huge in itself. Adding financial problems on top of that is a recipe for quickly finding yourself in an uncontrollable situation, with enormous levels of stress.

It may also seem obvious, but having a united and competent team is absolutely essential, with each person having a clearly defined role. There must also be one person who takes responsibility for making the most difficult decisions. However, that person cannot be alone when making those decisions and must know how to surround themselves with trusted people who are competent in their respective areas. 53

In my case, whenever I organise an event or take on the role of race director, I systematically look, well in advance of the event, for someone who knows the local environment and weather extremely well, and another person who understands the local dynamics and is respected and well liked in the area. Having good contacts within local politics can sometimes save a competition.

Event organisation is a reality check in which you cannot fool yourself and where there is very little room for error. Participant safety is the most important issue, but simply saying that is not enough. It has to be integrated into a wider set of priorities and realities that are equally important. Organisation is a puzzle in which every piece matters. And behind all those pieces are human beings, with their strengths, weaknesses, ways of doing things and reactions to stress. EuroTour

There are countless aspects and limitations that you don’t think about when you’re simply a participant. But if I had to sum it up, I would say this: When the competitors are on the starting line and the start signal is given, that already represents an enormous sense of relief and a great victory in itself, after months of preparation, networking, fundraising and building the sporting, logistical and institutional structure of the event. For me, the key to good organisation is knowing how to put yourself in every person’s shoes and understand their problems, needs and the source of their stress. If you have been an athlete and competitor yourself, it is easier to naturally understand the issues faced by athletes. But you also need to keep a sufficiently cool head to avoid making decisions based purely on emotion.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON There have been times when I have finished organising an event wanting to cry or scream inside, telling myself that I would never organise anything again, only to see nothing but smiles and words of thanks from the participants. That means we have done our job well, but managed ourselves badly.

Forgetting about yourself in favour of a goal or the common good only works in the short term. I believe it is essential to create a good atmosphere within the organising team and to make time for socialising and relaxing, even in the middle of the most demanding events. You cannot perform at your best while living under constant tension. At the same time, you have to learn to accept periods of stress. With experience, you learn that these moments are only temporary and that you have to keep moving forward without panicking. In the end, the show must go on, whatever it takes. As in many other areas of life, an organiser’s strength lies in their resilience.

WHY I KEEP ORGANISING Giving participants extraordinary experiences and courses where they can enjoy themselves and create unforgettable memories is what truly motivates me. That is why I have made organising downwinds one of my priorities. For me, enjoyment is the driving force behind performance. Seeing athletes give their best in a magical environment, in good conditions and while enjoying themselves despite the effort, is something truly special. Keeping the sport alive is another very important reason. I believe sport cannot exist without events that bring people together, motivate them and create a community. It is also the best way to support both athletes and the industry around our sports. On a personal level, I see organising an event as a challenge that has to be overcome, or as a competition that has to be won, and I find that extremely stimulating. I create events that I myself would like to take part in if I were still competing. And then there is the human adventure and camaraderie behind this kind of organisation. It is something you want to experience again and something you miss when you are no longer at the events. Although I don’t always have time to enjoy myself and talk to everyone, I love seeing participants happy and feeling the pride that comes from the work of a team. That is the greatest reward.

MATERIAL CODEFOIL

MEDIUM SPRINT

A paddle made for SUP downwind foiling, based on years of SUP and foiling experience. The Code Foils paddle is the ultimate paddle for SUP downwind foiling. It is made from 100% pre-impregnated carbon, making it incredibly light and strong. The paddle features a unique design that allows for maximum power and efficiency in both paddling and foiling. The paddle head has a unique dihedral design that provides maximum surface area for a medium sized paddle. This design also locks the blade in place, helping it to track straight and reduce wobble. The blade angle has been carefully considered to maximise efficiency and power. An ABS plastic rim offers a layer of protection to your blade from any unintentional bumps or collisions.

L ANDBOARD

SUNZAL

La tabla SUNZAL está pensada para SUPers de nivel intermedio o avanzado que quieran una tabla con una gran estabilidad y pontencial para surfear las olas. Su diseño permite reducir la longitud de la tabla, maximizando la anchura de la misma que genera una gran aceleración gracias a su contorno paralelo de los cantos. La zona del tail en cola de golondrina con un winger te ayudarán a hacer cambios de dirección rápidos y giros más radicales, permitiéndote evolucionar de manera muy notable en el SUP de olas. Personalizable en cualquier medida. Modelo Volumen Grosor Ancho

8’5” 110 L 4” 29”

7’8” 95 L 3 3/16” 28”

MATERIAL L ANDBOARD

MOLOKAY DW

The Molokai is our flagship model at DW SUP. Its fast paddling speed, combined with the board’s aerodynamics, makes it quicker and easier to get the foil up. The board is designed to be stable, and its length helps you maintain speed, allowing for greater efficiency when linking waves. Easy to use and the most versatile on the market, as it covers several disciplines in a single board. Full carbon construction, vacuum-moulded for maximum strength, lightness and durability. 16” Future inserts and optional inserts for footstraps and a handle.

Model Volume Width

8’4” 131 L 19”

7’6” 118 L 19”

7’2” 11 L 21”

FOIL DRIVE FUSION

KIT COMPLETO

The Fusion is not simply a more powerful version of the Assist MAX. It is a different system within the same Foil Drive ecosystem; Foil Drive refers to it as Gen 2.5 precisely to make it clear that it is not a linear evolution of the MAX but a category in its own right. The concept behind the Fusion is to be both things at once: the versatility and light weight of a foil assist, combined with the power and range of an eFoil. This is achieved through the 43V architecture, the 860Wh battery and the ability to use the same system in two different modes simply by changing the position of the motor. Get it at Windparadise

PERFORMANCE STARTS BEFORE YOU STEP ON THE BOARD By Filippo Mercuriali

Fillipo Mercuriali

ESL | Watersight

I have been paddling SUP for 14 years. I am a competitive athlete, I have a degree in Sport Sciences, and I work as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. A large part of my life revolves around sport: I train, I coach other athletes, I study how to improve performance, and I spend many hours of my life on a board. Yet, for several years, I completely underestimated one of the most important aspects of my preparation: nutrition.

I ate, trained and raced, but without any real strategy behind my nutrition. Especially on race days, what I ate and when I ate it was often quite random. I was extremely focused on training and physical preparation, but paid much less attention to what was supposed to help my body sustain all that work. I am not a nutritionist, and I have no intention of taking the place of one. What I am sharing here comes from my experience as an athlete and strength and conditioning coach, as well as from the journey I have been following for years under the guidance of a nutrition professional.

The first change I noticed wasn’t going faster When I started seriously following a nutrition plan built around my sporting activity, I probably expected to notice some improvement in performance. Instead, the first major difference I noticed was in recovery. After just two or three months, I realised that training sessions and races no longer left me tired for such a long time. I could complete a demanding session and feel ready to train again much sooner. It almost felt as though my body finally had, at the right moment, everything it needed to go again. For an athlete, this changes a lot. Performance isn’t only about what you can do during a race. It’s also about your ability to train well today, recover, and be ready to train well again tomorrow. We can have the best training programme in the world, but if our body cannot absorb it, that programme loses part of its value.

There is a big difference between finishing a workout and actually producing the stimulus that workout was designed to create. I notice this a lot in SUP. When the body isn’t ready, you may still be able to complete the planned kilometres, but the feeling is completely different. Personally, when I get something wrong with my nutrition, hydration or timing, my body lets me know very quickly. I may experience cramps, shaking, or simply a level of fatigue that feels far greater than the effort I am actually producing.

And in a technical sport like SUP, fatigue doesn’t affect only the engine. It affects your stroke, posture, coordination, ability to maintain cadence, decision-making around a buoy turn and the quality of your start. That’s why today I consider nutrition part of training, rather than something that simply sits alongside it.

When I race, my key word is simplicity Over the years I have built a routine that allows me to arrive at a competition without feeling either too heavy or too light, while recovering and sleeping well. Most importantly, this routine doesn’t depend on one specific product or food. I can be at home with everything I’m used to, or on the other side of the world without access to the same products. Because I understand, through the work I have done with a professional, what my body needs and what alternatives I can use, I am able to adapt. 60

When I travel to race, my mantra is always the same: simplicity. I’m not there on holiday or to try every restaurant in town. I’m there to race. If, in a particular place, the foods I can find and know work well for me are very simple ones, I have no problem eating fairly repetitive meals for a few days. At that moment I have an objective, and I try to remove anything that could unnecessarily complicate it. That doesn’t mean living like an athlete 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. After a race, I know how to enjoy a great meal or even a drink with the other athletes. I think it’s equally important to know how to switch off, share those moments and enjoy everything that surrounds a competition.

Watersight

Consistency comes before the details Today we have access to an enormous amount of information about nutrition and performance. But all of that loses its value without a much less exciting word: consistency.

One day of perfect nutrition won’t transform our performance, just as one poorly managed day won’t destroy months of work. It is what we do repeatedly that starts producing results. I didn’t realise myself how much difference nutrition could make until I actually started paying attention to it consistently for several months. Only then did I begin to notice how much it changed the way I trained, recovered, slept and arrived at competitions ready to perform.

And this brings me to one final point that I consider extremely important: being informed matters, but having information doesn’t automatically mean knowing what is right for us. Today we can find every possible diet, nutrition strategy, supplement or piece of advice online. We can see what a professional athlete eats or listen to a friend tell us what worked for them. But that doesn’t mean the same approach is right for us. We are different people, with different bodies, body compositions, training loads, habits and goals. Something that works perfectly for one athlete may be useless, or simply inappropriate, for another. So if we genuinely want to use nutrition to improve our health, recovery and performance, my advice is to work with a qualified professional, rather than building our entire strategy through trial and error or isolated pieces of information found online. That’s exactly what I chose to do. After 14 years in SUP, I continue to study my sport, my training and my body. But I also believe that being a professional means recognising where your own expertise ends and someone else’s begins. In SUP, we love our equipment. We talk about boards, paddles, fins, weight, stiffness and shapes. We’re constantly searching for something that might give us a small advantage. But before any board or paddle, there is one piece of equipment we use in every single training session and every single race: our body. We can spend hours choosing our equipment and just as many hours training. But if we really want to discover what we’re capable of on a board, we need to take just as much care of what allows our body to train, recover and go again.

THE BIG

PADDLE FESTIVAL ZÚRICH

The event combined top-level competition with the open, family-friendly and inclusive atmosphere that defines the Big Paddle Festival. Professional athletes, promising young paddlers, masters competitors and recreational watersports enthusiasts all shared a privileged setting surrounded by Alpine scenery, with the waters of Lake Zurich providing the main stage. ESL

The European SUP League scoring competition focused on the Technical Race and Long Distance disciplines, over courses of 1.8 and 6 kilometres respectively. Both races were closely contested, especially in the Open Elite category, where the gaps came down to just a few seconds.

Aarón Sánchez dominates the men’s competition

In the Technical Race, the Spanish paddler finished ahead of fellow countrymen Lluís Perotti and Fernando Pérez Serra, completing an all-Spanish podium. Donato Freens placed fourth, while Sergio Cantoral completed the Top 5. The men’s Long Distance produced one of the most exciting finishes of the event. Sánchez secured his second victory with a time of 34 minutes and 44 seconds,

finishing just two seconds ahead of Sergio Cantoral and three seconds ahead of Lluís Perotti. Rubén Cantoral, the leading U18 competitor, crossed the finish line in fourth overall, only five seconds behind the winner, while Donato Freens finished fifth. The first five athletes were separated by just eight seconds, highlighting the remarkable level of competition among the circuit’s leading contenders.

Alba Frey and Duna Gordillo share the women’s victories The women’s competition also delivered an intense battle for the leading positions. Alba Frey won the Technical Race after producing a strong performance, with Hungary’s Kocsis Csillag Virág finishing second and Duna Gordillo taking third place. Nuria Chiquero, the U18 winner, finished fourth overall, while Esperanza Barreras placed fifth and was the leading M40 competitor. In the Long Distance, Duna Gordillo took her turn at the top of the podium, winning in a time of 35 minutes and 47 seconds. Alba Frey finished second, eleven seconds behind the winner, while Kocsis Csillag Virág claimed third place, crossing the line only one second behind Frey. The victories shared by Frey and Gordillo underline the competitiveness of the women’s field and add further important results to the battle for the European SUP League overall rankings.

Strong performances across all categories The Big Paddle Festival also attracted broad participation across the U18, M40, GM50, Kahuna and youth divisions. Daniel Senoglu and Nuria Chiquero won the U18 Technical Race categories, while Rubén Cantoral and Bianca Toncelli claimed victory in the Long Distance. Roberto Cañedo and Esperanza Barreras dominated their respective M40 categories.

In GM50, Daniele Cani won both men’s disciplines, while Emmanuelle Marcon claimed the women’s Technical Race and Switzerland’s Andrea Forrer won the Long Distance. Jorge Chiquero secured the Kahuna victory, while Enzo Ponzó and Lena Nowak were among the standout performers in U16. Tomás Blin won the U14 category, underlining the important role played by the European SUP League in promoting and developing the next generation of athletes.

Competition, community and the promotion of SUP Alongside the European SUP League races, the festival included the new 18.5-kilometre Big Paddle Challenge, side activities, youth initiatives and a programme designed to introduce paddle sports to participants of all ages and ability levels. The event’s inclusion within the European SUP League, Swiss Paddle Cup and SUP Suisse Tour brought international competition, the Swiss paddle community and athletes from several countries together in the same venue. The European SUP League would like to thank the Big Paddle Festival organising team, local sports associations, institutions, sponsors, partners, officials and volunteers whose work made the event possible.

ODRA

SUP CUP

RYBNIK

ESL

The ODRA SUP CUP, the fourth stop of the 2026 European SUP League, delivered an exciting weekend of racing in Rybnik, Poland, with Spain’s Alba Frey emerging as the standout performer after winning both the Technical Race and the 200-meter Sprint. In the men’s competition, Dutch paddler Donato Freens claimed victory in the Technical Race before Spain’s Sergio Cantoral answered back with a Sprint win on Sunday, highlighting the outstanding form of both athletes. Held as part of the ODRA SUP Festival at the Pniowiec venue on the banks of the Upper Odra River, the event brought together many of Europe’s top paddlers to compete in the two official European SUP League disciplines: the Technical Race and the Sprint.

Freens takes the Technical Race as the Cantoral brothers impress Competition began on Saturday with the Technical Race, where Donato Freens once again demonstrated why he is one of Europe’s leading SUP racers. The Dutch paddler secured the win after a closely contested final, finishing ahead of Spain’s Sergio Cantoral in second place and Rubén Cantoral, who completed the podium to cap an excellent day for the Spanish team. In the women’s division, Alba Frey opened her weekend in dominant fashion by taking victory in the Technical Race. Nuria Chiquero finished second, while Inés Blin rounded out the podium in third.

Sergio Cantoral tops the Sprint Sunday’s racing focused on the explosive 200-meter Sprint, where fast starts, acceleration, and raw power proved decisive. In the men’s final, Sergio Cantoral claimed victory, reversing Saturday’s result with Donato Freens, who finished second. Italy’s Filippo Mercuriali secured third place, while Rubén Cantoral once again delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth.

Alba Frey completes the double The women’s Sprint saw Alba Frey once again rise to the top, completing a flawless weekend with her second victory in as many days. The Spanish paddler confirmed her excellent form by adding the Sprint title to Saturday’s Technical Race win. Nuria Chiquero finished runner-up once again, collecting her second silver medal of the weekend, while Poland’s Martyna Drobny delighted the home crowd with a third-place finish. Fellow Polish paddler Maja Bauerek placed fourth, underlining the growing strength of women’s SUP racing in Poland.

A strong weekend for team Spain

Spain enjoyed one of its strongest performances of the season in Rybnik. Alongside Alba Frey’s double victory, Sergio Cantoral combined a second-place finish in the Technical Race with a Sprint win, while Rubén Cantoral recorded third place in the Technical Race and fourth in the Sprint. Nuria Chiquero also impressed with back-to-back runner-up finishes, confirming her consistency among Europe’s top female paddlers. With the Polish event complete, the European SUP League has now visited Santa Pola, Taranto, Zurich, and Rybnik during the 2026 season. Following a summer break, the tour will resume on September 5–6 in Isla Cristina, Spain, where both the Technical Race and Sprint disciplines will once again be contested.

NURIA CHIQUERO

Up Suping

Fesurfing|Up Suping

We’ve been watching you row since you were a little girl, and something’s happened over the last two years: you’re showing us what is possibly the best Nuria we’ve ever seen in the water. What was it that happened? There must be things that have made something ‘click’ for you. Well, I don’t really think there was any one specific thing that ‘clicked’. It’s simply been a case of continuing to enjoy the sea with friends, gaining experience in every competition and putting in the effort in training. I think all of that has helped me to improve bit by bit until I’ve reached the point I’m at now. What’s more, being able to paddle alongside leading figures in the world of stand-up paddleboarding has really helped me to believe that it’s possible to aim for something more. Seeing people who’ve been doing this for many years and being able to share the water with them also motivates me to keep training and try to improve every day

It feels like 2026 is turning into a great year for your sporting career. How are you handling the results you’ve achieved in the different competitions so far, and which upcoming events are giving you the most motivation? I always try to look at my results positively, whether they are good or don’t turn out as I expected. When something doesn’t go the way I want, I try not to focus only on the fact that it went wrong. Instead, I think about what I can improve and work on those areas during training so I can try to prevent it from happening again. The events I’m most excited about now are the two remaining ESL races, in Huelva and Sesimbra, and, above all, the ICF World Championships in Italy. I’ve never competed in an event at such a high level before, so I’m really looking forward to the experience, racing against athletes of that level and seeing how far I can go.

Fesurfing

As we mentioned, you already have several years of SUP experience, even though you’re still a Junior. What were those first years like on the Mediterranean? What did your friends say when they saw you paddling standing up? I remember those first years of the circuit with a lot of affection. Travelling with a club and your friends to competitions away from home is really fun, and that was what I enjoyed the most. For me, that’s where you build the strongest friendships and have the most fun. It was also where I had my first races and realised how much fun competing in this sport could be. My friends found it quite unusual that I practised Stand Up Paddle because it has always been seen more as a summer activity to enjoy when you go to the beach. When I explained to them that we didn’t just paddle during the summer, and they came to watch some races, they were quite impressed to see how different and demanding the sport can actually be.

What do you think about the European SUP League? We’ve seen you competing in different events across Europe, and we’d love to hear about your experiences in the circuit. I think the European SUP League is an incredible idea because it is a league that is trying to give the sport and its athletes the visibility that we still need to achieve. It also gives us more opportunities to compete against each other and see where we stand heading into future competitions. Although it is still something relatively new, I think it can become something really interesting over time and contribute a lot to the growth of the sport. One of the first ESL races I competed in was in Sesimbra, and so far it has been my favourite. The technical course had several turns and made use of a breakwater that we had to pass from one side of the beach to the other. I found it really fun and, above all, very spectacular.

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The Mediterranean isn’t always a calm sea, is it? Tell us how it has taught you to adapt to its different conditions and what you feel you still need to improve. People often think of the Mediterranean as a calm and easy sea to paddle in. It’s true that the period between waves is short and that the swell is usually much smaller than in other places, such as the north. On top of that, there is often wind, which can make the conditions even more challenging. Sometimes it feels like the waves aren’t coming from just one direction. The sea can feel like a washing machine, with everything coming at you from different directions. This kind of messy, choppy water can be very tiring and also makes it more difficult to read the conditions. The idea is to keep learning how to read this type of sea better over time and adapt to each situation, changing the way I paddle depending on what I find. I think I still need a lot more experience in strong winds, cross-chop and, above all, downwind conditions.

How have your experiences been in the waves? The level of the Juniors in Spain keeps getting higher when it comes to racing in surf. My experience in the waves is getting better. It’s a discipline I really enjoy, although where I live we don’t usually have good conditions for regularly training in the surf. Where I’m currently training, there are sometimes days with waves, so I try to make the most of them and work on this discipline. I’d like to keep gaining experience in these conditions and improving little by little so that I can be at my best for the Spanish Beach Race Championships. I know the level among Juniors in Spain is getting higher and higher, so I think the more experience I can gain in different conditions, the better prepared I’ll be for the upcoming competitions.

Tell us about your experiences in the Mediterranean SUP Race Circuit: a breeding ground for great riders and competition friends. The Mediterranean Circuit is where I started competing. The first SUP race I ever took part in was the Gran Carrera del Mediterráneo, an important event on the circuit that takes place every year in my hometown, Santa Pola, so it has a very special place in my heart. Another competition I have very good memories of is the one in Torrevieja. That was where I used the first 12’6” carbon board I bought, and where I managed to win a race for the first time. I still compete in some events on the circuit. One of the upcoming races will take place on August 29–30 in Los Arenales del Sol, organised by Club Deportivo Parres. For me, the Mediterranean Circuit has been very important because it’s where I started competing, where I’ve met many fellow paddlers and where I’ve been able to learn and improve over the years.

We’d also like to know about your hobbies and any other sports you practise that complement your daily activity. I’ve enjoyed doing different sports since I was little. I always used to see my dad going out on his bike and I wanted to do it too, so at weekends we would often go out together for a short ride. I also did ballet when I was younger and then, when I was ten, I started athletics. I spent several years training and competing with a club. Nowadays, I still go cycling with my dad from time to time and, although I no longer do athletics, I still enjoy going for runs with my friends and I sometimes take part in races in my local area. I think doing different sports from a young age has also helped me enjoy sport in different ways and not focus exclusively on SUP.

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Of course, results don’t come without hard work. How do you manage your training, and who are the people who are always there supporting you through the process? I always train with my club teammates. We paddle several days a week and also complement that with gym sessions. Training with other people is really fun because you can challenge yourself against them during every session, and for me it’s also very motivating. There are days when I don’t really feel like paddling, but when you have someone next to you putting in the effort, it gives you the motivation to keep going and give your best too. My biggest support comes from my parents, who make it possible for me to train and continue competing. My club is also a very important part of this process and helps me improve and learn every day.

There are still plenty of events, competitions and trips ahead this year. Do you have any expectations or goals you’d like to share with our readers? I’m really excited about competing in my first World Championships in Italy, and it would be a dream to achieve a good result. Above all, I want to enjoy the experience and learn as much as possible because I know it’s going to be a very high-level competition. I also want to compete at my best and see how far I can go. There are still several events left this season, so I’d also like to keep improving, enjoy the races that are still ahead and finish the year with good feelings.

Thanks to… First of all, I want to thank my family, who have been a fundamental pillar throughout all these years. I also want to thank my first club, BeWaterSports, and especially Isaac Hernández, who introduced me to SUP together with Miguelón.And, of course, Club Deportivo Parres, Daniel Parres and Sergio Cantoral, who are making it possible for me to keep improving and learning every day.

Last Saturday, June 27, the beaches of Manilva hosted a new edition of the 2V Manilva SUP Race, an event counting towards the Costa del SUP Andalusian Circuit and organised by Club Paddle Surf Manilva. The competition once again established itself as one of the highlights of the regional calendar, bringing together athletes from numerous Andalusian clubs for a day in which the heat was undoubtedly the main protagonist. While Club Paddle Surf Manilva, the event organisers, are committed to offering demanding races in conditions that force riders to demonstrate their full range of skills, this year the wind decided not to show up. Instead, the heat put the endurance of the participants to the test throughout the different heats.

2V Manilva SUP Race The fourth edition of the 2V Manilva SUP Race brought together the best regional Stand Up Paddle specialists from Andalusia Club Paddle Surf Manilva

The competition once again highlighted the excellent form of the Andalusian youth scene. In the SUB18 men’s category, Álvaro del Pino and Borja Camacho, both representing CD Triana, together with Marcos Mazure (CN Fuengirola), took the top positions, while Laura Ailing Sánchez claimed victory in the women’s category. In the men’s Open category, Matías Gabriel Casco (Team Hércules) dominated the race, leading from start to finish. Kornel Krisztian (Sun & Surf) and José Luis Benítez (Team Hércules) completed the podium. In the women’s classification, local athlete Victoria Sánchez claimed an impressive victory in front of her home crowd, followed by Isabel Valverde and Ana Estable, both representing CN Fuengirola.

In the Master category, Fofi Recio (Team Hércules) took the gold medal, with Antonio Sudón and Javier del Río, both from CD Triana, joining him on the podium. In Grand Master, the leading positions went to Fernando José Rioja (Amar Surfing Melilla), Pedro García de Zúñiga (CD Triana) and Antonio Domínguez (CD Paddle Surf Manilva). In the women’s category, Marina Navarro (Team Hércules) and Haydee López were the top finishers. The Kahuna category saw victories for Luis del Pino (CD Triana) and María Blanca Ojeda (CDN Nuevo Portil). The Promotion categories, both inflatable and hard boards, once again attracted strong participation. Ibrahim Boura (Islakiters) and Eva Cifuentes (CN Fuengirola) claimed victory in Promotion Inflatable, while Hugo Quiñones and local athlete Selva Freigedo took the top spots in Promotion Hard Board.

The younger categories also deserve special mention, particularly the SUB14 women’s division, where Nora Lhassar, India del Río and Nerea Recio delivered an excellent performance, confirming the promising future of women’s paddleboarding in Andalusia. Club Paddle Surf Manilva expressed its satisfaction with the response from athletes, clubs and spectators, while also thanking the sponsors, institutions and volunteers whose support makes it possible to stage an event that continues to grow and establish itself within the Costa del SUP Andalusian Circuit.

“I sold all my gear. Six months later, I was back in the water.”

Julio Pérez

@actionsports.media

Flying Again By Julio Pérez I’m 60 years old and I’ve been doing sport all my life. I’m a Physical Education teacher and a fourth-degree black belt in judo. For many years, paddleboarding was my main sport, and I competed at both national and international level. Around four or five years ago, foil entered my life, almost coinciding with the emergence of wingfoiling. I was hooked from the very beginning, especially by downwind. That feeling of gliding, lifting away from the surface and feeling like you’re flying is difficult to explain if you haven’t experienced it. Downwind was already one of my passions on a paddleboard, and it quickly became one with foil as well. Over time, I tried different disciplines and, after my surgery, I’ve become especially focused on paragwing and downwind. It’s probably what I’m most hooked on right now. But my story with my knee goes back much further. When I was 18, I tore my meniscus during a judo competition. They removed the whole thing. I remember the doctor handing it to me in a jar, almost like he was giving me a piece of candy. That was simply how things were done back then. Today, we know much more about the consequences something like that can have. For decades, I continued doing sport at a very demanding level. I trained five or six days a week and looked for every opportunity to get on a board, whether there was wind or waves. But that knee was gradually taking its toll.

When I was 48, I had to undergo an osteotomy because my leg was already badly deteriorated and I was in pain. Around a year before having my knee replacement, they also had to remove the metalwork from that previous surgery. For about twenty years, doctors had been telling me that there would probably come a time when I would no longer be able to do my job normally and would need a knee replacement. That moment eventually arrived. The strange thing was that when I was on a board, I barely felt any pain. Paddleboarding and foil were my escape. I would get on my board and forget about my knee. The problem came when I stepped back onto land. Sometimes I could barely walk. My limp was obvious, and working as a Physical Education teacher was becoming a real struggle. When the time finally came to have a total knee replacement, including the kneecap, I made a drastic decision: I sold all my sports equipment. All my foils, my wings, my board… even my motorbike. I didn’t want anything around me that would constantly remind me of something that had been such a huge part of my life for so many years. I also needed the money to help cover the costs of an operation that was going to be complicated, as well as the intensive rehabilitation I knew would follow. On the day of the operation, my wife, Nanna, and my daughter, Ana Carlota, were with me. I felt incredibly supported and loved, although there was also concern on all our faces. We knew the operation could go well, but we also knew that the goal might simply be to get me back to a normal life: walking, working and little more. My surgeon, Dr José Luis Martín Alguacil, was always very straightforward with me. He explained the risks and never promised that I would be able to return to sport. He believed that my attitude and the work I put into my recovery could make a difference, but even for him, it was a challenge to know how far I would eventually be able to go. I, however, had one thing very clear in my mind: I wanted to get back to foil.

Four very tough months The day after the operation, they got me standing and started working on the mobility of my knee. I remember that moment perfectly, and I remember the pain I felt. And that was only the beginning. The first four months were extremely tough. Pain, sleepless nights, frustration and days when it felt as though my recovery wasn’t moving forward at all. But every morning I had the same commitment to myself: rehabilitation. I ended up doing three sessions a day. Swimming pool, rehabilitation, sports reconditioning, gym… and then starting all over again.

That was when another key person appeared in my recovery: Javier Ávila, my rehabilitation specialist. An absolute legend. I’m convinced that without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And alongside him was my wife, Nanna. She was there throughout the entire process, including the hardest moments, when it was difficult to keep my head up and carry on. I never fell into depression, but there were certainly moments of real despair. She was always there..

The recovery was also a significant financial challenge. The robotic surgery, part of the rehabilitation, sessions with my sports reconditioning specialist, the gym, the swimming pool… The money from all the sports equipment I had sold ended up being used for something very different from what I had originally imagined. But I believe it was one of the best investments I have ever made in my life.

Ten minutes And then came the day that had seemed impossible. Six months after the operation, I went back on the water. For my surgeon, it was something that seemed almost unthinkable. But my trusted brand, Naish, and Hoenalu told me: “Julio, your equipment is ready whenever you are.” I didn’t think about it for too long. I put on a knee brace, waited for some very light wind conditions and headed out onto the water in Santa Pola. I lasted ten minutes. Just ten minutes. When I came out, I was crying. I was crying because of the pain, because my knee had swollen enormously. But I was also crying with emotion. After everything I had been through, I was back on the water. That day I realised there was still a huge amount of work ahead of me, but I also realised that I could get back to where I wanted to be. .

Flying again Since then, I’ve kept working. My rehabilitation isn’t over and probably never will be. I still have pain, but it’s a different kind of pain. It’s no longer the pain I had before the operation. Now it’s the pain of a knee that I’m working on and gradually pushing further. Today, I’m back doing downwind and I’m particularly enjoying paragwing. I’ve recovered many of those sensations that I thought I might never feel again.

Am I 100 percent? No. Do I still have a long way to go? Absolutely. But every foil session now has a different meaning. Before, I might have finished one session already thinking about the next. Now, when I’m on the water, I’m much more aware of how lucky I am simply to be there. This experience has taught me, above all, to be patient. To listen to my body. Not to compare myself with anyone else and to understand that every recovery has its own timeline. I’ve also learned that wanting to get back to something doesn’t mean you can achieve it immediately. You have to work towards it and be patient.

If someone reading this has just gone through an operation and feels that getting back on the water is a long way off, I would simply say: don’t lose hope, but don’t rush it either. Surround yourself with good professionals, follow the advice of your doctors and rehabilitation specialists, and do the work that needs to be done each day. When you’re recovering, the small improvements stop feeling small. I sold all my gear because I thought I needed to forget about foil for a while. Six months later, I was back in Santa Pola, with a knee still recovering, crying on my board. Today, I’m still rehabilitating. And I’m still flying. And I know for sure that this story isn’t over yet.

Thanks to @actionsportsmedia for the photos for this story.

The Discover Huelva SUP Festival 2026 brought together nearly a hundred athletes for a spectacular day of competition in Isla Cristina, counting towards the Fesurfing Technical League, the Costa del SUP Circuit and the Andalusian Open Championship.

Up Suping

Carlota Parras

Playa Central in Isla Cristina once again became one of the great stages for Stand Up Paddle in Andalusia this weekend, hosting the 11th edition of the Discover Huelva SUP Festival. Now firmly established on the summer calendar, the event took another important step forward this year by counting towards the FESurfing Technical League and the Costa del SUP Circuit, while also hosting the Andalusian Absolute Championships. Almost one hundred athletes travelled from different parts of Spain to take part. Organised by Club Windsurfing Isla Cristina, Windzone School and the Municipal Sports Service of Isla Cristina Town Council, the event once again delivered a day where sport, spectacle and the atmosphere on the beach were the main protagonists.

The sea was windy from early in the morning, but the conditions remained perfectly suitable for this type of competition. The course, set up directly in front of Playa Central, combined technical sections, buoy turns, beach runs and shoreline sections, creating dynamic racing both for the participants and for the large crowd following the action from the sand.

As is tradition at the Discover Huelva SUP Festival, the day began with the youth categories, where the youngest athletes once again demonstrated the excellent form of the Andalusian SUP development scene. From the first races in the Sub-8 and Sub-10 categories to the always exciting Sub-12 heats, the festival once again achieved one of its main objectives: introducing Stand Up Paddle to younger generations and continuing to promote the growth of the sport.

XI DISCOVER HUELVA 88

The Promotion categories, both hard boards and inflatables, were once again one of the highlights of the day thanks to the fantastic atmosphere they create both on and off the water. Once again, the spirit of the Costa del SUP Circuit was clearly visible in a category where community, sport and fun go hand in hand. The biggest excitement arrived with the Elite categories, where intense heats provided plenty of action right through to the final metres. The challenging yet highly entertaining course offered a complete test for the athletes, while also providing a great spectacle for spectators and those accustomed to racing in open-water conditions.

In the Elite Overall Men’s category, Augusto García claimed victory following an impressive performance. Alfred Barbeito pushed the winner all the way and finished second, while Borja Camacho completed the podium. In the Elite Overall Women’s category, local rider Rocío Bensaid took the win ahead of Ana Estable and Ester Paniagua.

One of the biggest highlights of the day was undoubtedly the racing in the Sub-18 category. The level currently being shown by these young athletes points towards a very strong future for the Elite division and further strengthens the position of Andalusian SUP on the national scene. Special mention should also go to the Sub-14 women’s category, where Nora Lhasar was unstoppable, joined on the podium by her teammate India del Río. And, of course, we cannot forget the Master, Grand Master and Kahuna categories, whose participation gives the Discover Huelva SUP Festival a very special character year after year.

With its eleventh edition now completed, Isla Cristina once again confirms its position as one of the essential destinations for Stand Up Paddle in Spain. The combination of an experienced organisation, a spectacular course, institutional support and the involvement of the local sporting community has made the Discover Huelva SUP Festival a date firmly marked on the national calendar, as well as a fantastic showcase for promoting the sport and active tourism along the Huelva coastline. Special thanks go to the Municipal Sports Service of Isla Cristina Town Council, the Department of Culture and Sports of the Government of Andalusia, the Huelva Provincial Council, as well as the maritime safety teams from Maritime Rescue and Civil Protection. The event also received the support of sponsors and collaborators including Hotel Estival Isla Cristina, Starboard, Usisa, Juan Pérez Jamones, Frutas Masía Ciscar, Costa del SUP, Asociación 21 Horas, Up Suping, and Emilio and his great team at Windzone, who once again welcomed the event to their centre and provided outstanding support throughout the festival.

One new world record

24 HOURS 805 KM. Ensis

On 18 July at 6:09 am, New Zealand rider Jeremiah McDonald launched from Giske, Norway, with one goal: push the limits of what was thought possible in wing foil. Nearly twenty-four hours later, at 5:46 am the following morning, he crossed the finish line having covered an astonishing 805.1 kilometres in 23 hours and 37 minutes, setting a new 24-hour wingfoiling world record aboard the ENSIS DOUBLE ACE.

More than an individual achievement Although Jeremiah was alone on the water, the record was anything but a solo effort. A dedicated support team followed the challenge from boats, the shoreline and even from the other side of the world. Local volunteers in Norway coordinated safety throughout the night, while family, friends and the team behind the Trace tracking system continuously monitored his progress and encouraged him through live calls. Without stopping before the 500 km record, Jeremiah relied on this constant stream of information and support to keep pace and stay focused.

¨Without being able to stop for breaks, the digital support made a world of difference. My family, local friends and sponsors kept calling throughout the night. Hearing their voices reminded me I wasn’t alone¨.

A mental battle Spending almost an entire day on foil demands far more than physical fitness. Changing wind, fatigue, cold temperatures and maintaining concentration hour after hour all become part of the challenge. That’s why Jeremiah believes the real challenge happened in his mind. His first objective was to reach 500 kilometres within 12 hours. Two early crashes immediately put him behind schedule, forcing him to chase the target for the next six hours.

Against all odds, he reached the milestone with only one minute to spare. From there, the challenge changed completely. It became about enduring fatigue, cold temperatures and finding the determination to continue long after his body wanted to stop.

The last hour and a half were the hardest. I had no energy left, I was freezing cold, and even maintaining foil height became difficult. Without question, this was the hardest mental challenge I’ve ever done”.

Built through preparation While the attempt lasted almost twenty-four hours, the preparation started long before. With five years of wing foiling and four seasons competing on the international circuit, Jeremiah already had a strong foundation. His background in rowing and adventure racing helped prepare him physically, but he knew this challenge would ultimately depend on mindset.

Conditions and equipment Norway offered the perfect conditions, thanks to its long summer daylight and the Gulf Stream. After spending several weeks preparing in Giske, everything was ready. Throughout the journey, Jeremiah relied on the ENSIS DOUBLE ACE, whose efficiency, stability and consistent power delivery allowed him to maintain speed over hundreds of kilometres and changing conditions.

His feelings When asked to describe the experience in a single word, Jeremiah didn’t hesitate. Not because of the record itself, but because of what it taught him.

Your body can keep going longer than your mind wants to believe. I learned not to let the fear of not knowing if you can do something stop you from trying”. Yet perhaps the greatest reward wasn’t the number on the GPS. It was the people.

One of the biggest things I gained was so many new friendships and an overwhelming gratitude for everyone who supported me. That made all the difference”.

More than a world record Records are measured in kilometres, hours and statistics. But the story behind them is measured differently. For Jeremiah McDonald, 805.1 kilometres became a lesson in resilience, trust and perseverance. Supported by an incredible community and powered by the ENSIS DOUBLE ACE, he proved that extraordinary achievements begin long before the start line—and are only possible when determination meets preparation.

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING

TO DO IN CADIZ

Javeir del Río Muñoz

Vilca @jvilca_7 | Up Suping

I’m Javier del Río Muñoz, a lover of animals and sports, especially those that allow us to connect with nature. I believe we should all do our part to take care of it, and even more so those of us who are lucky enough to enjoy it every day. I started Wing Foiling in 2023, after suffering a serious ankle injury, along with several other injuries I had been carrying for some time. At that point, I started to reconsider my return to kitesurfing because, whether you like it or not, the jumps and crashes can take their toll. That was when I discovered Wing Foiling and all the possibilities it had to offer. It allowed me to keep enjoying the adrenaline I love so much, but in a different way, while continuing to enjoy the sea and the wind—two things we are lucky to have plenty of where I live.

A SPORT FOR EVERY CONDITION When there’s wind, I go Wing Foiling; when there are waves, I surf; and when neither of those options is available, I go SUP. In the end, the three sports complement each other really well and even help me improve across disciplines. I always say the same thing when I’m talking with my friends: you need to have toys for every condition. I like enjoying life in all kinds of weather. That’s why I’m not someone who complains about the conditions. There are always options throughout the year and different ways to keep enjoying ourselves and playing in nature. Each discipline also gives me something different. SUP allows me to work my whole body in a very complete way and keep enjoying the sea when there’s no wind or waves, while Wing Foiling gives me that combination of adrenaline and feeling of disconnecting from everything else that I enjoy so much.

Up Suping

FLOATING ABOVE THE WATER The feeling Wing Foiling gives me is difficult to explain. It’s like floating above the water, almost like being on Goku’s flying cloud. When you take off and start gliding above the water on the foil, everything seems to change. It allows you to connect with the sea and nature and simply live in the moment, without thinking about anything other than enjoying what is happening right there.

Since I started in 2023, I’ve gradually discovered everything this sport has to offer. Every session brings a new lesson and, at the same time, a new challenge. The more you learn, the more possibilities you discover, and the more you want to keep progressing. And that’s precisely one of the things I love most about Wing Foiling: there is always something new to learn.

CDIZ: A GREAT PLAYGROUND Most of the places where I go Wing Foiling are on the beaches of the province of Cádiz. Valdelagrana Beach, in my hometown, is an ideal spot for Wing Foiling. But if I had to choose my favourite beaches for their scenery and water, I’d go for Los Caños de Meca, Camposoto, Bolonia and Punta Paloma. Travelling is also part of this passion. Whenever you leave your usual spots, you always end up discovering new beaches and, above all, meeting wonderful people who become part of your memories.

THE FUTURE OF WING FOILING IN ANDALUCIA I believe Wing Foiling is currently one of the fastestgrowing wind sports. It reminds me a little of what happened when kitesurfing first appeared. At the beginning, it was a huge boom and then it gradually became established. There were also plenty of windsurfing purists who didn’t like it very much, but eventually many of them fell under its spell. I’m seeing something similar happening with Wing Foiling now. Some people absolutely love it, others would like to try it but feel a bit reluctant to start a new sport because of the time and money involved, which I completely understand. And then there are those who resist trying it and simply say it’s rubbish. But in the end, many of us end up falling under its spell. I think that if you enjoy challenges and pushing yourself, once you try it, you get hooked.

I love all sports that combine nature and adrenaline. The problem is that, in the end, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day for me to become really good at any of them. But I don’t really worry about that. I’d rather enjoy each one depending on the moment, the conditions and what I feel like doing. Because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about: enjoying the sea, the wind, nature and all the possibilities they give us. 97

UP SUPING Stand Up Paddle & Foil