Isla Cristina makes its European SUP League debut – Stop #5: Interview with Augusto García

For Isla Cristina, hosting the next stop of the European SUP League on 5-6 September is about more than simply staging an international race. It is an opportunity to showcase a town where the sea is deeply woven into its identity – and to introduce a new generation of paddlers to the next level of European SUP racing.

Following stops in Santa Pola, Taranto, Zurich and Poland, the Huelva event will open the final stage of the 2026 season. Just one week later, athletes will travel to Sesimbra, Portugal (11-13 September), for the sixth and final event on the European calendar.

At the heart of Isla Cristina’s water-sports community is Augusto García, a multiple world and European windsurfing champion, president of Club Windsurfing Isla Cristina and a key figure in the development of water sports in the region. He is also the driving force behind the Discover Huelva SUP Festival, which celebrated its 11th edition in 2026 and has become an important platform for growing SUP in Isla Cristina and beyond.

Now, García is helping to bring a new chapter to the town’s long-standing relationship with the sea. The arrival of the European SUP League places Isla Cristina firmly on the international stand-up paddle map, with the town hosting Stop #5 of the 2026 circuit.

For Augusto, the European SUP Race Isla Cristina 2026 event represents a natural evolution of the work he has been involved in for many years – connecting elite competition with the local community and creating opportunities for more people to discover SUP.

We caught up with Augusto García to talk about his journey from world-class windsurfing to SUP, his connection with Isla Cristina, the growth of the Discover Huelva SUP Festival and what it means to welcome the European SUP League to his home waters.

Hi Augusto, welcome to TotalSUP! You achieved the highest level possible in windsurfing, becoming a four-time world champion. Did you ever imagine that your next chapter would be helping build the SUP movement?

The truth is that when I was competing in windsurfing, I never imagined that, many years later, I would be working to develop and grow a discipline like SUP.

Sport has always been a part of my life. Being able to compete at the highest level gave me a very good understanding of this world, but it also taught me that sport doesn’t end when you stop competing. There is a second, very rewarding stage, which is helping others experience and enjoy what you have lived through.

When SUP appeared, I quickly saw that it had something special. It is a very accessible sport that allows people of almost all ages and abilities to enjoy the sea, while at the same time having huge competitive potential.

Being able to contribute to its development now, especially from Isla Cristina, is something that really excites me.

When did you realise SUP had the potential to become a major international competitive discipline?

I first got on a SUP board in 2006, and from that very first experience I could see that the sport had enormous potential. What sets it apart from other water sports is the way it combines accessibility with competition.

Someone can start simply to enjoy the sea and, over time, discover that they want to compete. That creates a very broad and diverse community.

Technically, it is also a very complete sport: it requires endurance, strength, balance, strategy and a huge ability to adapt to sea conditions.

When you start seeing athletes from different countries training specifically to compete in SUP, and international circuits becoming increasingly professional, you realise that we are looking at a sport with an enormous future.

Isla Cristina has always had a strong connection to the sea. How important has this maritime culture been in your own journey?

It has been fundamental. Isla Cristina is not simply a beautiful place next to the sea. The sea is part of our identity. We are a fishing town, with a very strong maritime tradition, and that relationship with the ocean is passed down from generation to generation.

In my case, my relationship with the sea also began at a very young age through windsurfing, kitesurfing and other water sports. The sea has been my school, my training ground, my competition venue and also a fundamental part of my life.

That is why it makes so much sense to organise an international SUP event here. SUP fits perfectly with the identity of Isla Cristina and with the commitment of the local authorities to promoting the sport.

What does it mean to create events that bring international athletes to places with such strong local identity?

For me, it is one of the most rewarding parts of organising a sporting event. It is not simply about bringing a competition and international athletes to a place. It is about making sure those athletes get to know the destination, its people, its culture and its way of understanding the sea.

When an athlete travels from another country to compete in Isla Cristina and then leaves talking about our beaches, our food, our maritime traditions and the atmosphere they experienced here, the event takes on a much greater dimension.

Sport then becomes a tool for promoting the region, as well as a means of cultural exchange.

The Discover Huelva SUP Festival has grown into a leading national SUP event, bringing together elite athletes, amateur paddlers, and the local community. What was your vision when you first created the festival, and how has that vision evolved over the years?

When we started the Discover Huelva SUP Festival, we wanted to create something more than just a competition.

Our idea was for SUP to be enjoyed by everyone – from elite athletes to people who simply wanted to experience racing and enjoy the sea.
Over the years, the festival has grown and become a meeting point for athletes, clubs, families and enthusiasts.

That philosophy remains very important to us. Now that the European SUP League is coming to Isla Cristina, we want to maintain exactly that spirit: bringing together the best European athletes while also giving a prominent role to amateurs and everyone who is just starting out in the sport.

Isla Cristina is now part of the European SUP League circuit as Stop 5. What does this milestone mean for the town and the local SUP community?

It is a huge step forward. Having Isla Cristina on the European SUP League calendar means that our town is now on the international SUP map.

For the local community, it is a fantastic opportunity to watch some of the best European athletes compete here and, above all, for our young people and local paddlers to have role models and share the same space with them.

It is also recognition of the work that has been carried out for many years by Club Windsurfing Isla Cristina and the Municipal Sports Service of the Town Council.

I believe this event demonstrates that a town like Isla Cristina can organise international-level sporting events when there is passion, experience and a strong work ethic.

What makes Isla Cristina unique as a SUP destination compared to other locations on the European circuit?

We have a combination that is difficult to find.

On the one hand, we have magnificent beaches and different possibilities for SUP training and competition. But, in addition, we have natural conditions and an environment that allow us to create different types of courses. And then there is something that, for me, is even more important: our identity.

Isla Cristina is a fishing town. The sea is not simply a backdrop for us; it is part of our everyday life.

I think that when an athlete comes here, they find not only a great place to compete, but also a destination with a personality of its own.

The European SUP League brings together some of the best athletes in the sport. What can competitors expect from the conditions, the course, and the overall experience here?

They will find a very attractive setting that is also demanding. Atlantic conditions can change, which means athletes have to adapt. At this level of competition, physical preparation is not the only factor that matters; reading the sea, strategy and the ability to adapt are also crucial.

But we want the experience to be about much more than the competition. We are working to ensure that athletes feel welcome from the very first moment and are able to enjoy Isla Cristina, our beaches and everything the town has to offer.

We want them to finish the event remembering not only who won the race, but also the experience they had here.

What message would you like to send to athletes considering coming to compete in Isla Cristina?

Come prepared to compete, but also prepared to enjoy yourselves. Isla Cristina has fantastic conditions for SUP and a community that is truly passionate about the sea.

I would especially like to encourage amateur athletes to take part. It is very important to us that the European SUP League is not just an event for the elite.

We want anyone who enjoys SUP to have the opportunity to experience a competition of this level from the inside, share the beach with top athletes and become part of the experience. I am sure that those who come to Isla Cristina in September will take home some very special memories.

What would success look like for the first European SUP League event in Isla Cristina?

Of course, we want it to be a sporting and organisational success. We want the athletes to have a great competition, for everything to run smoothly and for the European SUP League to be happy with the work we have done.

But for me, true success would be making sure that the event leaves something behind in Isla Cristina. That our children and young people become interested in SUP, that local paddlers take part, that the clubs get involved and that people in the town feel that the event belongs to them.

And also that the international athletes leave saying: “We have to come back to Isla Cristina.”

If we achieve that, we will have done our job well.

Ultimately, organising a European SUP League event is not simply about bringing an international competition to the town. It is about putting Isla Cristina on the European SUP map and showing that our land, our beaches and our people have so much to offer.

Isla Cristina is ready. See you on the beach.

Thank you so much for your time Augusto, we can’t wait to catch up with you at the event!

Find out more and register for the event 

European SUP Tour Calendar 2026:

• Spain – Huelva, Isla Cristina | September 5–6
• Portugal – Sesimbra | September 11–13

To find out more about European SUP League (ESL), visit europeansupleague.com

Follow ESL on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Follow Augusto García on Instagram and Facebook

*Images courtesy of European SUP League (ESL), Discover Huelva SUP Festival and Augusto García