The first edition of the Sesimbra SUP Festival delivered a 4th stop and a spectacular finale to the inaugural European SUP League (ESL), uniting more than 100 athletes from 10 nations at Praia do Ouro for a decisive weekend of racing. Organized by the Sesimbra Surf Club, the European Surfing Federation, and the ESL, the event firmly positioned Sesimbra as a new strategic location for SUP Racing in Europe and set the tone for a more ambitious 2026 season.
Under ideal conditions – flat water, mild skies, and no wind – the festival opened with a fast-paced, stadium-like day of Technical Race heats. Athletes competed on a compact course built around the natural breakwater, allowing spectators to follow the action only meters away.
The day ended with intense battles across all divisions, but the spotlight was firmly on the much-anticipated Open Men showdown between the two new Sprint kings: Sergio Cantoral (ESP), the 2025 ICF Sprint World Champion, and Christian Andersen “Polar Bear” (DEN), the 2025 ISA Sprint World Champion.
Both NSP riders came into Sesimbra as the fastest men on the planet, and the final delivered on its promise. After an explosive start from Christian Andersen, Sergio Cantoral managed to close the gap before the first buoy, executing a decisive overtake. Despite multiple attacks from the Polar Bear throughout the race, Cantoral controlled the lead with authority and crossed the line in first place.
In third, Lluis Perotti Ferriol (ESP) from Port Adriano (Mallorca) delivered an excellent and tactical performance to secure his spot on the podium.
In the Open Women, Spain’s junior generation dominated with remarkable depth, filling the top five positions. Inés Blin opened with a strong lead, but her teammate Alexia Soto from Parres Watersports Club timed her acceleration perfectly. Both Soto and Blin have enjoyed exceptional seasons, each earning silver medals in the junior category at the 2025 World Championships — Soto at the ICF Worlds in Abu Dhabi and Blin at the ISA Worlds in El Salvador. Once Soto made her move, she proved unbeatable, taking the win ahead of Blin, with Bianca Toncelli (ESP) from Fuerteventura completing the podium after another strong performance.
Open Elite Men – Top 5:
1. Sergio Cantoral [ESP]
2. Christian Andersen [DEN]
3. Lluis Perotti Ferriol [ESP]
4. Louka Brard [FRA]
5. Iván Puente Rodríguez [ESP]
Open Elite Women – Top 5:
1. Alexia Soto [ESP]
2. Inés Blin [ESP]
3. Bianca Toncelli [ESP]
4. Laura Paricio [ESP]
5. Amelia Moral [ESP]
Elite U18 Men – Top 5:
Elite U18 Women:
U16 Men – Top 5:
U16 Women:
Elite M40 Men:
Elite M40 Women:
Elite G50 Men:
Elite GM50 Women:
1.Paula Rodríguez Fernández (ESP)
Kahuna +60 Men:
1.José Antonio Feliciano Moreira (POR)
U14 Boys:
U14 Girls:
Instead of a traditional 10 to 15km format, Sunday featured an unusual Long Distance race, consisting of two laps of a ~7 km circuit along the length of Praia do Ouro.
Offshore winds and shifting gusts added complexity to an otherwise sunny, fast, spectator-friendly course, pushing athletes to maintain consistent technique and smart positioning across both laps.
The race delivered another thrilling chapter in the rivalry between the two NSP sprint world champions, Christian Andersen and Sergio Cantoral. Both men launched off the start line with electric acceleration, immediately breaking away from the pack. For 95% of the race, Andersen and Cantoral paddled side by side, trading micro-surges and testing each other’s limits. Behind them, the chase group was made of two Spanish athletes, 18-year-old Jorge Valenzuela from Benalmádena, Spain, the revelation of the weekend and one of Spain’s rising stars, Lluis Perotti Ferriol from Mallorca.
The decisive moment came at the second-to-last buoy, just 300 meters from the finish line. Christian Andersen executed a perfect buoy turn and exploded out of the pivot, instantly carving a 10-meter gap. The burst of speed destabilized Sergio with the wash, yet Cantoral managed to claw his way back within reach. But it was not enough: Andersen’s strategy — patience, control, and a final lethal acceleration — paid off.
Christian “Polar Bear” Andersen took the win, a symbolic and definitive victory that sealed his status as the Overall Champion of the 2025 European SUP League, ahead of Starboard athletes Aaron Sánchez and Fernando Pérez Serra.
In the women’s Long Distance, the top five Spanish juniors once again dominated the front group. Alexia Soto confirmed her exceptional form by securing another commanding win — a double crown for the weekend. This victory earned her 3rd place in the 2025 Overall ESL rankings, behind champion Alba Frey and runner-up Espe Barreras.
Open Elite Men – Top 5:
1. Christian Andersen [DEN]
2. Sergio Cantoral [ESP]
3. Jorge Valenzuela [ESP]
4. Lluis Perotti Ferriol [FRA]
5. Iván De Frutos Ruiz [ESP]
Open Elite Women – Top 5:
1. Alexia Soto [ESP]
2. Laura Paricio [ESP]
3. Bianca Toncelli [ESP]
4. Inés Blin [ESP]
5. Amelia Moral [ESP]
Elite U18 Men – Top 5:
1. Jorge Valenzuela [ESP]
2. Louka Brard [FRA]
3. Aron Ramos [POR]
4. Aetz Ibarloza [ESP]
5. Cameron Carney [CAN]
Elite U18 Women – Top 5:
1. Alexia Soto [ESP]
2. Laura Paricio [ESP]
3. Bianca Toncelli [ESP]
4. Inés Blin [ESP]
5. Amelia Moral [ESP]
U16 Men
1. Gonçalo Craveiro Da Silva [POR]
2. Enzo Ponzó [ESP]
3. Alfred Gregory [ESP]
4. Gabriel Milhazes [POR]
5. Martim Maria Freire [POR]
U16 Women
1. Nuria Chiquero García [ESP]
2. Bárbara Silva Cunha [POR]
3. Francisca Alves Da Costa [POR]
4. Alexia Virginie [ESP]
5. Laura Area Villanueva [ESP]
Elite M40 Men
1. Rui Ramos [POR]
2. Vicente José Tortaja [ESP]
3. Roberto Cañedo [ESP]
4. Dan Miller [CAN]
5. Adolfo “Fofi” Recio [ESP]
Elite M40 Women
1. Kathleen Shaw [CAN]
2. Janine Sousa Coelho [POR]
3. Ghislaine Cordier [NED]
4. Gadea Ibarloza [ESP]
5. Rocío Fernández [ESP]
Elite G50 Men
1. Santi Cantó [ESP]
2. Eusebio Rodríguez Fernández [ESP]
3. Pablo Codesido [ESP]
4. Tomás Dura Poyatos [ESP]
5. Tom Sanders [-]
Elite G50 Men
1. Paula Rodríguez Fernández [ESP]
2. Rocío Sepulcre Cantó [ESP]
Elite Kahuna 60+ Men
1. José Antonio Feliciano Moreira [POR]
2. Enrique Barrajon Martín de la Sierra [ESP]
U14 Boys
1. Miguel García Toba [ESP]
2. Isaac Rito Siaussat [POR]
U14 Girls
1. Rita Corgo Costa [POR]
2. Margarida Martins Faria [POR]
3. Mara Davo Fernández [ESP]
4. Rosalía Bouzas Fernández [ESP]
5. Nerea Bransby Fernández [ESP]
The Sesimbra SUP Festival wrapped up the first-ever ESL season with near-record participation considering the dense international racing calendar. Beyond the official races, the festival offered a broad public program – Adaptive SUP, introductory sessions, youth activities, and guided tours — reinforcing the league’s ambition to grow the sport at both elite and grassroots levels.
The event concluded with the ceremony awarding Overall titles (combined Technical Race + Long Distance) and marking a symbolic transition toward the league’s next stage.
The ESL has officially crowned its 2025 overall SUP champions – and the titles went to two giants of the season: Alba Frey (Spain), your ESL Open Elite Women’s Champion, and Christian “Polar Bear” Andersen (Denmark), your ESL Open Elite Men’s Champion.
> FULL EUROPEAN SUP LEAGUE RANKINGS HERE <
The official 2026 ESL calendar will be released soon, but the Sesimbra finale gave a first look at the planned stops:
April 24-25: World SUP Festival Costa Blanca, Spain — Season opener
May 1-3: Taranto, Italy — Hosted by SUP Academy Italy
June 12-14: Pornichet Paddle Trophy, France
June 19-21: Zurich, Switzerland
June 26-28: Odra SUP Cup, Poland
September 5-6: Discover Huelva SUP Festival, Spain
September 11-13: Sesimbra SUP Festival, Portugal
This line-up would mark a stronger, more unified European competitive circuit, building on the momentum of the ESL’s inaugural season.
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