Putting progress to the test: Inés Blin on the 2026 Elche Paddle Festival & the big SUP challenges ahead

Arenales del Sol Beach in Elche, Alicante, Spain, was the setting for the second Elche Paddle Festival 2026, organised by Club Deportivo Parres as part of the Regional League and National League. The event brought together athletes across a wide range of ages and abilities, with junior divisions starting as young as Under 8, highlighting the continued growth and accessibility of stand-up paddle racing, which sits at the core of Daniel Parres’ coaching philosophy.

With competition across the Sprint and Technical Race disciplines, the festival offered a total of €4,000 in prize money and attracted a strong field of emerging and established paddlers.

Among the leading local athletes was 19-year-old Inés Blin, an Elche-based SUP racer. She broke onto the international SUP scene and caught the spotlight when she rode a winning wave last year at the 2025 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships in Surf City El Salvador. Representing France as a junior, Inés claimed silver in the Junior Women’s Technical Race.

Inés Blin at the 2025 ISA World SUP Championships | Image source: International Surfing Federation

Inés trains at Parres Watersports under coaches Daniel Parres and Vincent Guillaume, representing France while maintaining strong ties to Spain and the Elche SUP racing community. Her introduction to SUP was a simple one, sparked by friends who encouraged her to give the sport a try. She enjoyed it from the very beginning, but it was through more structured training that SUP gradually became a competitive pursuit.

At the 2026 Elche Paddle Festival, we had the chance to watch her continue her impressive form, taking silver in the Open Women’s Sprint and bronze in the Open Women’s Technical Race.

We caught up with Inés to chat about what it means to compete on home turf, the unique experience of racing in Elche, representing her home crowd, riding for NSP, and continuing to push her limits. She gives us a closer look at her experience, her goals and what’s next on the horizon.

Hi Ines, welcome to TotalSUP! You came away with a silver and a bronze at the Elche Paddle Festival – how are you feeling after the weekend?

I’m really happy with my results. These were exciting races that we had been looking forward to after training hard throughout the summer.

From left: Nuria Chiquero, Inés Blin and Alexia Soto

What was the Elche Paddle Festival like from the inside? What makes this event special, and why should paddlers put it on their calendar?

As part of the club organizing this event, it’s really cool to see fellow paddlers competing on our home beach. It’s an event that’s prepared with a lot of enthusiasm and the intention of introducing everyone to the world of SUP through races that always end with a smile on the faces of both the competitors and the spectators.

I think paddlers should mark this date on their calendars because it’s a great way to get back into the swing of things in the second half of the season, testing themselves against their rivals before facing them in leagues like the European SUP League (ESL) or the World Championship.

How important are events like Elche for measuring yourself against the wider European field?

For me, events like Elche are really important because they give you a chance to see where you stand. Even though it’s our home race, the level is always high, and having paddlers from other parts of Europe on the start line gives you that extra push.

You can see what you’re doing well and what you still need to work on. It’s a great way to check in with yourself before bigger races like the European SUP League (ESL) or the ICF. And doing it at home, surrounded by familiar faces, makes the whole experience feel both motivating and comforting.

Is there one side of paddling that you naturally gravitate towards – flat water, open ocean, technical racing – or is the variety what keeps you motivated?

In my opinion, one of the greatest benefits of this sport is that it’s rarely ever the same. Some days we have flat water, other days a bit of swell; sometimes there’s more wind, other days less. Some days it’s downwind, other days it’s sideways.

That variety is something that really motivates us because every day brings a new challenge. You learn to make decisions quickly, figure out what works best in each moment in terms of equipment and technique, and become more versatile as a paddler. I think that’s one of the great things about the sport.

You’re an NSP rider – tell us a little about your current setup. What boards are you riding, how do you choose the right equipment for different conditions?

I usually ride the NSP Ninja, although for competitions with waves, I’ve sometimes opted for the Puma. I choose which board to take based on the forecast and the conditions we’re expecting, and I usually discuss it with my coach as well.

That said, I almost always use the Ninja. It’s a board I’ve become really comfortable with, and now that I’ve started riding the Ninja Evo, I’m even more convinced that the Ninja is the board I feel most comfortable on.

You caught that iconic wave of success at the 2025 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships, representing France as a junior and taking silver in the Junior Women’s Technical Race. You’re also a real all-round waterwoman – how has that experience shaped you, and what are you looking to take into the next chapter of your SUP career?

Honestly, when I caught that wave, I couldn’t believe it myself, but it was the push I needed to have more confidence in myself and what I could achieve. I’ve just moved up to the Elite category, and while the Junior level was already quite high because the riders are improving every day, the Elite level is even higher.

Although I know it’s difficult, I’d like to achieve a top 15 finish at the ICF World SUP Championships, and if I go back to represent France at the European Championships, I’d like to get a good result for myself and my team.

Ines in a dramatic battle for Silver with Soryn Preston (USA) | 2025 ISA World SUP Championships | Image source: International Surfing Federation

What’s next on your SUP calendar? Do you have any key races or goals coming up that you’re particularly looking forward to?

I have the final stop of the European SUP League (ESL) coming up in Sesimbra this weekend. Further on we have the ICF World SUP Championships which I think all riders are looking forward to, and maybe the ISA Championships.

Elche Paddle Festival 2026 Results:

Sprint Winners – Women and Men Elite Open Division

SPRINT RACE PODIUMS

OPEN WOMEN

1. Alexia Soto
2. Ines Blin
3. Teresa Criado

OPEN MEN

1. Sergio Cantoral
2. Fernando Perez
3. Ruben Cantoral

U16 GIRLS

1. Mara Davo
2. Adriana Juan
3. Carmen Casado

U16 BOYS

1. Eric Perez
2. Eduardo Mira
3. Izan Riera

MASTER MEN

1. Ximo Sanchez
2. Vicente Jose Tortajada
3. Sebastian Fernandez

GRAND MASTER MEN

1. Santi Canto
2. Tomas Dura
3. Sebastian Monserrat

Elche Paddle Festival 2026 – Under 8 Division Competition

U8 BOYS

1. Kai Parres Esteve
2. Jan Pérez de Albeniz
3. Daniel Ramos

U10 GIRLS

1. Aitana Cano Irizarri
2. Asia Pedrero
3. Andrea Riquelme

U10 BOYS

1. Wictor Seweryn
2. Alexander Schwarz

U12 BOYS

1. Asier Amoros
2. Bruno Marc
3. Lucas Muñoz

U14 GIRLS

1. Lola Blanquer
2. Maria Campos
3. Lola Marin

ROOKIE WOMEN

1. Amaya Carrasco
2. Sophia Lebraimy
3. Lucía Alcaraz

ROOKIE MEN

1. Christian Diaz
2. Raul Izquierdo
3. Samuel Moya

KAHUNA MEN

1. Lluis Agular
2. Jorge Chiquero
3. Jose Perotti

TECHNICAL RACE PODIUMS:

OPEN WOMEN

1. Alexia Soto
2. Nuria Chiquero
3. Ines Blin

OPEN MEN

1. Sergio Cantoral
2. Fernando Perez
3. Ruben Cantoral

Fernando Perez

MASTER WOMEN

1. Elisabet Llargues
2. Beatriz Porres
3. Erika Irles

MASTER MEN

1. Vicente Jose
2. Gines Pedrera
3. Sebastian Fernandez

U16 BOYS

1. Eric Perez
2. Eduardo Mira
3. Tomas Blin

U16 GIRLS

1. Mara Davo
2. Adriana Juan
3. Carmen Casado

U18 BOYS

1. Ruben Cantoral
2. Enzo Ponzo

GRAND MASTER MEN

1. Daniel Parres
2. Tomas Dura
3. Santi Canto

Daniel Parres

GRAND MASTER WOMEN

1. Rosario Sepulcre
2. Silvia Gomez
3. Maria Ortega

U8 BOYS

1. Kai Parres
2. David Ramos
3. Lucas Lora

U10 BOYS

1. Wictor Sewerym
2. Gahel Terleira

U10 GIRLS

1. Aitana Cano
2. Asia Pedrero
3. Adriana Riquelma

U12 BOYS

1. Asier Amoros
2. Bruno Marc
3. Lucas Muñoz

U12 GIRLS

1. Ana Campos
2. Jimera Dura

U14 BOYS

1st – Luca Gonzalvo

U14 GIRLS

1. Irene Merler
2. Lola Blanquer
3. Maria Campos

ROOKIE MEN

1. Miguel Pastor
2. Cristian Diaz
3. Samuel Moya

ROOKIE WOMEN

1. Amaya Carrasco
2. Lucia Alcaraz
3. Sophia Lebrainmy

KAHUNA MEN

1. Jose Perotti
2. Jorge Chiquero
3. Juan Verdu

To find out more about Club Deportivo Parres, visit parreswatersports.com

Follow Club Deportivo Parres on Facebook and Instagram 

To find out more about NSP, visit nspsurfboards.com. Follow NSP on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Follow Inés Blin on Instagram

*Images courtesy of Elche Paddle Festival 2026