Beyond cadence: The making of Alfred Gregory – Power, technique & Spain-UK Junior SUP racing

Having watched the UK SUP racing scene up close, you learn to recognise emerging talent. And when a young rider starts making his presence felt, holding his own and even asserting dominance against the competition, it is hard not to take notice. For 15-year-old Alfred Gregory, that early impression is now being backed up by some seriously promising results, including a clean sweep of the Junior titles at the British Nationals in Liverpool, taking gold across Sprint, Technical and Long Distance.

Based in Elviria, Marbella, and splitting his time between Spain and the UK, Alfred has continued to excel on the competitive SUP scene. At the inaugural ICF SUP World Cup and SUPER Festival 2026 in Torquay, he claimed Junior Long Distance gold and silver in both Sprint and Technical, finishing third overall in the men’s standings in an impressive all-round performance.

But it’s not just the results that make Alfred one to watch – his attitude, both on and off the water, is equally noteworthy. There is a refreshing lack of visible stress or pressure, even when the racing gets intense. He digs deep when it counts but there is an unmistakable sense that he genuinely enjoys competing. His approach seems driven by fun and a healthy competitive instinct rather than the weight of expectation.

Technically, Alfred brings another interesting dimension to his racing. Sprint canoeing has long influenced SUP racing, offering a contrasting approach to the high-cadence style adopted by lighter athletes. Rather than relying purely on rapid stroke turnover, it places greater emphasis on raw power and efficiency – a distinctive technical direction to see carried forward among the younger generation of SUP racers.

In Alfred’s case, that influence comes through his Coach, Peter Varsas, who has drawn on the sprint-canoeing technique of Hungarian Olympic champion Attila Vajda, adapting those principles to SUP training.

We caught up with the young Infinity SUP rider shortly after the Paddle Worldwide Championships in Italy, where he stepped up to the highly competitive Juniors category, racing against 17- and 18-year-olds and securing an impressive global top 10 finish, to talk about his development, training approach and ambitions.

Photo by supjunkie.co.uk

Hi Alfie, welcome to TotalSUP! You’ve made quite an impression on the UK SUP racing scene at a young age, culminating in claiming the 2026 national title. How has that journey unfolded and what do you think has been key to your development?

My SUP journey started when I was only four, just after my family moved from London to Spain. I’ve been racing for about three years now, but 2026 has been a massive step up for me. It was my first full year racing internationally, travelling around the UK, Romania, Italy and of course, Spain.

There isn’t really a secret to it. It’s mostly about consistency, training twice a day, staying disciplined, and committing to those early mornings and late evenings on the water.

SUPer Festival and Paddle Worldwide World SUP Cup, UK | From left Milosz Sytnik (Poland), Alfred, Manuel Hoyuela (Spain), Lourenço Viveiros (Portugal), Greg Limelette (France), Tommaso Pampinella (Italy) & Joey Jones (Wales) | Photo: Anna Nadolna

Who have been the biggest influences on your paddling journey so far? We’d love to hear more about the people behind your development – whether that’s coaches, athletes, training partners or mentors. Do you work with a dedicated coach, or has much of your progress come through self-learning, experience and sharing the water with other paddlers?

My coach, Péter Vasas, has been the biggest influence by far. He’s been with me from a young age and has taught me almost everything I know about the sport. Training with him at Sun and Surf Spain CD has shaped the way I paddle and the athlete I’ve become.

My family has also been a huge part of it. They help with all the travel and logistics, which lets me focus on training and racing. It is really comforting having your family around, especially on those big international races.

Alfred with his Coach Peter and Benjamin Vasas (U12 SUP athlete) | Image source: Peter Vasas

You’ve shown impressive versatility across sprint, technical and distance racing. Which race format do you enjoy most, and where do you feel your strengths lie?

I race in all three, but technical and long distance are my favourites. I enjoy them because they’re less about raw power and more about endurance, pacing and making good decisions out on the water.

I think my strengths are holding a fast, efficient pace over longer distances and handling choppy technical courses, where fitness and race strategy really matter. But this is a work in progress of course.

Photo by supjunkie.co.uk

Your style seems to take inspiration from the powerful approach of canoe sprinters. Could you tell us more about how you’ve developed your technique?

That definitely comes from Peter. He has a kayaking and canoeing background, and he’s taken elements from canoe sprint technique inspired by Olympic canoe champion Attila Vajda and adapted them for SUP.

We’ve worked on making my stroke more efficient and transferring power better through each phase. That’s probably why my technique has a bit of a canoeist look and feel to it.

Photo by supjunkie.co.uk

What have you taken from canoe sprinting specifically?

What I’ve taken from canoe sprinting is the importance of keeping the paddling arm relatively straight and putting the main effort into the front end of the stroke. You reach forward, plant the blade cleanly and use your body rotation and weight to drive the board past the paddle at the catch and early pull.

After that, the rest of the stroke is mainly about guiding the board, keeping the blade close to the board, and getting it out cleanly rather than pulling it all the way back. The idea is to create power early in the stroke, not to rely on a long arm pull at the end.

Are there any specific drills or techniques from the sport that you’ve incorporated into your SUP training?

I’ve also taken the idea of using the recovery properly. Instead of rushing the paddle back for the next stroke, I use that time to rotate and get into a good position for the next catch.
In training, I’ll sometimes slow the stroke down and focus on the catch, rotation and exit before building the speed back up.

In the gym, we follow the same idea: we make the first part of the movement a hard, fast push or pull, then bring it back slowly and controlled before doing the next rep. It helps reinforce that front-end power and the controlled movement we want on the water.

Sprint racing demands a very different approach to distance and technical racing. How do you adapt your training, tactics and mindset between the different formats?

Our training changes depending on what race is coming up next. Peter and I look at the schedule, work out which disciplines we’ll be racing, and build the sessions around that.

We focus more on aerobic fitness, longer sessions, board handling around buoys and positioning when drafting. For sprints, it becomes more about explosive starts, cadence and high-intensity intervals to get off the line quickly.

Photo by supjunkie.co.uk

The Infinity EverReady has recently become your go-to board for racing. What do you particularly like about this model?

Yes, it has become my go-to board for racing this year. I’ve used it in a few international races and I’ve really enjoyed it. It has a lot of volume, so it glides well, and the narrow tail makes the turns quick and easy without water coming into the dugout.

It’s also very stable in choppy and wavy conditions, so it gives me confidence in most race conditions. Overall, it feels like the perfect all-round race board for me.

The Infinity EverReady is an all-water model, rather than a board designed purely for flat water. Why did you choose this type of board for racing? What advantages does it offer?

I chose an all-water board because I think it offers more versatility for racing. Conditions can change a lot during a race, with wind, chop and swell all playing a part. The EverReady is more forgiving in these conditions and gives me more confidence and stability while still being fast and competitive.

Unless a race is guaranteed to be completely flat with no wind, I would personally always prefer an all-water board, as it gives me the best balance between speed, control and adaptability.

Having established yourself as one of the young talents on the UK racing scene, what are your ambitions for the next few seasons? Are international competitions and the senior/open racing category firmly on your radar?

I’ve still got two years left in the junior category, but I’m planning to race in the Open category at a few races next season. It would be great to have more juniors joining the UK paddle community. Racing against older and more experienced paddlers is a great way to learn and see where I stand internationally.

Next year, I want to race more on the international circuit while still competing in the UK. I also study sports, so balancing training, racing and studying will be important, but I’m fully focused on pushing towards the top level.

Thank you Alfie for your time – we can’t wait to see what the 2027 brings!

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*Photos by supjunkie.co.uk