Belar Diaz:The 11th stop of the EuroTour presented by Starboard brought us to beautiful Noli in Italy. The Noli SUP Race was quite a change of scenery from the far lands of Finland the prior week. With breaking cliffs that come straight out of the sea and the town of Noli literally on the water it was the perfect setup for the first stop of the Italian leg.
The Event
With many athletes coming early along with their families to make the event a mini-vacation, from Thursday evening the town was breathing SUP. Friday had windy conditions that a few of the athletes utilized for one last training sessions that turned to be quite a fun downwind from the close by private Island and natural reserve of Bergeggi. The official welcome of the race took place on Friday evening in the historic town hall, with a very nice organized reception where the Major along with the port authorities and sponsors were present. Saturday saw the main event, with the Elite distance race taking place in the mid-morning to take advantage of the lighter thermic winds, that would provide some assistance to the athletes in the very warm conditions. With a start in Noli’s main beach that went to the Baia dei Saraceni in the nearby town of Varigotti; competitors completed a two lap course via the beautiful cliffs for a total of 15km distance.
The Elite Men’s Race
With competitors coming from Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Czech Republic, Spain, Latvia and even the Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe & St.Croix it was very much and International affair. The Italian contingent however were not going to go down easy, and the duo of Leo Nika (Starboard) and Paolo Marconi (RRD) set a blistering pace of the start breaking away from everyone but Frenchman Martin Letourneur (Hobie). The group will stay together for the majority of the course, until Leo Nika made a gap over the upwind section that no one would challenge. At the end of the second lap Leo extended his lead and won by a comfortable margin over Paolo Marconi in 2nd place. This also marked the third week in a row that Leo & Paolo finished in the exact positions proving the great momentum of form they are both in and also made Leo the athlete with more wins on the EuroTour2016 with four under his belt already. Martin Letourneur looked strong all race with a good pull in his preferred downwind conditions but succumbed to Paolo’s attacks on the last upwind section to finish in 3rd place. On the chasing pack there was a bigger group of paddlers that tried to catch the top 3 over the two lap course without success. Out of them another Frenchman Jeremy Teulade (Starboard) proved the strongest by finishing 4th showing his win in Belgium a few weeks back was no fluke. Martin Rogai (Jimmy Lewis) finished in solid 5th with another tour regular Giordano Capparella (BIC) in 6th. Davide Codotto (3Bay SUP) was ahead of this group for the first lap, but eventually succumbed on the second lap and finished 7th. In 8th place and quickly coming up the rankings was Claudio Nika (Starboard) brother of the event winner and showing he’s following his brother steps. From Holland we had veteran Martine Van Deth (Starboard) in 9th place putting a strong effort against the International field.
The Elite Women’s Race
Spaniard Susak Molinero (RRD) continued her amazing run of form by making this her third win on tour, defeating the fast rising talent of French Woman Amandine Chazot (Starboard) that set a very fast pace of the start and looked in contention for the win over the first lap. However the Spanish born but a resident of Italy for the past few years, was not going to let that happen at her adopted home and pulled clear over the second half of the course to win comfortably. In 3rd place saw the up and coming talent of Chiara Nordic (RRD) that defeated Erika Barausse (Jimmy Lewis) on her very first race, a very accomplished Marathon Canoe racer of her own that we will soon see atop of some podiums.
The Junior Races
The afternoon featured the RedPaddle Junior races with a young crew (our youngest competitor was only 8yrs old and showed great form by making the semifinals). The kids made the most of the windy course and provided great spectacle to the crowd on the beach. Special mention goes to Leo & Claudio Nika that took care of the course & water safety for the race aboard one of Red’s XL boards.
The RedPaddle “XL Race to Glory” followed with some very exciting action that despite the fact that most Elite athletes had jumped into one team the “SUP Kids” team captained by Italian Martino Rogai and event organizer Franz Orsi with a last minute effort brought the victory home.
On the evening of Saturday, after a great dinner provided by the organizers were pasta abounded as well as a few local cocktails.
More photos and Results of the races
The organizers had an award ceremony right on the beach with the beautiful cliffs of Noli in the background. Huge thanks from the EuroTour to Franz and his entire team for making a very successful event in their very first edition. And also thanks to the Sponsors Comune di Noli, Golfo dell’Isola, Tre Terre for making it happen.
Photos are up here, keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook for the video to follow. Full results and rankings will be updated shortly here Stop #12 sees us staying in Italy for the Adriatic Crown in Marotta.
With less than a week remaining to register, the BCN SUP World Fest (Barcelona SUP World Fest), the EuroTour’s Grand Slam event held on 24-25 May, promises a SUP star-studded event with €12,000 in prize money on offer. Framed by the iconic Port Olímpic – home to the Club Patí Vela de Barcelona and a […]
On the first weekend of May, Water festival took place in beautiful Sicily, the sunny shores of Mondello Beach set the stage for an unforgettable weekend. As one of the most anticipated stops on the Italian FISSW SUP circuit, this third edition delivered sup racing race and a vibrant atmosphere filled with music, energy, and […]
From May 1 to 4, 2025, the island of Crete became the meeting point for SUP Racers from around the world, with two major events of the ICF SUP World Series taking place in Sitia and Agios Nikolaos. A total of 235 athletes from 23 countries took part, making it one of the biggest SUP […]
Eyes on Mondello Beach, the stunning Sicilian backdrop for stop #3 of the official Italian FISSW SUP circuit. More than just a race, this iconic event blends competition, community, and lifestyle ,drawing paddlers from across Europe to experience the energy of the sea in all its forms. We caught up with Cecilia Pampinella ahead of […]
The countdown is on! In just a few days, Sicily will welcome stand-up paddle athletes from across Europe and beyond for one of the most anticipated race events of the season: the Water Festival, happening May 1st to 4th in the stunning setting of Isola delle Femmine. But it’s more than just a race. It’s […]
At just 20 years old, Spanish SUP athlete Sergio Cantoral has already built an impressive international racing résumé. Based in Santa Pola, Alicante, and riding for NSP, Sergio’s journey from standout junior talent to consistent podium contender on the world stage has been shaped by grit, determination, and a dynamic paddling style. At last weekend’s Spring […]
The Lake Rocks Festival makes a powerful return to Faaker See in Carinthia, Austria on 29 May – 1 June! As a key stop on the prestigious SUP Alps Trophy racing series and part of the ICF World Ranking Series, this event has quickly become a must-attend for the global SUP community. With the world’s […]
The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has finalized the locations and dates for this year’s Stand Up Paddling World Ranking Series. Four key events will take place across Europe, offering ranking points that will play a crucial role in the lead-up to the 2025 ICF SUP World Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The competition […]
In any sport, one rule stands firm: you’ve got to earn your spot. And Katniss Paris, former aerial circus performer turned pro SUP athlete and Infinity SUP Speed Freak, did just that by delivering a standout 2024 season and capping it off with the ultimate prize, the ICF World SUP Sprint title, claimed on home […]