The Lake Rocks Festival is going to ROCK: €12,000 prize pot, star-studded field & buzzing SUP community

Both the athletes under Light Board Corp and the team – pioneers of hollow board construction and organisers of the SUP Alps Trophy series – are gearing up for one of the most anticipated stops of the season: the Lake Rocks Festival, taking place from 14 – 17 May on Faaker See in Austria, which is already amassing a record number of registrations.

“Numbers don’t lie – paddlers vote by participation,” says with confidence Gerd Weisner, lifelong watersports pro, Co-Founder of Light Board Corp and Managing Director of the Lake Rocks Festival, as we catch up to talk about the stacked line-up and a fired-up SUP community.

The Light Riders Normen Weber and Benyam Bossack | Photo by Andy Klotz

Hi Gerd, Lake Rocks is hitting record numbers – what do the entries and a stacked elite field say about where SUP racing is right now?

The Lake Rocks is in its 5th edition, and from day one it has been more than just racing – it’s a true SUP festival. A role model event, it shows how elite competition and amateur racing can come together in one unique experience.

This is the place to be for some of the best days of 2026: serious racing, music, food, and time with friends and family from 20+ nations. All set on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, with crystal blue water, alpine mountain surroundings, and four days full of action.

Unpacking the Light Board Corp PARADOXA – On the right: Gerd Weisner | Photo by Andy Klotz

Live registrations are now open, with nearly 800 race entries from 21 countries so far. With over 40 days to go, we expect even more participation than ever.

Some fun facts: the leaders in race entries are Hungary (164), Germany (127), Italy (109), Belgium (78), Austria (68), with Croatia and the Netherlands at 47 each.

SUP racing is one of the most beautiful and inclusive sports, bringing together like-minded paddlers. My favourite observation is how friendships are building across nations – it really feels like one big international family, full of good vibes.

Photo by Andy Klotz

You’ve been steadily building this race with a clear focus on participation across all demographics – combined with a doozy prize pot (€12,000!!!!) and a world-class field – is Lake Rocks now setting the blueprint for what modern SUP races should look like?

I guess numbers don’t lie – paddlers vote by participation. It’s about consistency and reliability, but also entertaining race formats, strong moderation and media work to present the action around the world and capture lasting memories.

We have a great team in place, with local media coverage and Mathieu Astier and Rudy van Haven on the mic all day, keeping everyone informed about what’s actually happening.

Our prize money split is different from most events. We put the highest cheques on long distance, while still valuing the technical race, and we also offer a total of €1,500 – split equally between men and women – for the speed race winners. So if an athlete takes a triple win, they can walk away with €3,500, making it attractive for the world’s best to join, even with overseas travel costs.

The Light Rider Manuel Lauble | Photo by Andy Klotz

That said, we’re excited to see an extraordinary field this year, including legends and world champions across open class and age groups: Shuri Araki, Donato Freens, Sergio Cantoral, Andrey Kraytor, Duna Gordillo, Lisa Venturelli, Rea Logotheti, Aaron Sanchez, Michael Booth, Normen Weber, Manuel Hoyuela, Tatsuma Nishikawa, Benyam Bossack, Filipo Mercuriali, Peter Weidert, Manuel Lauble, Joep van Bakel, Edith Turcotte, Tamas Buday, Gabor Szabo, Marc Simoncelli, Giulio Lazzarini, Enrico Mandoloni, Roberto Mandoloni, Polona Pusljar, Sara Oddera and more!

A huge number of world champions and world championship podium finishers across all age classes.

As prize money grows and the field deepens, is the gap widening between elite racers and the rest – or is Lake Rocks proving it can bring everyone together?

Absolutely not – our races have proven that juniors and Master 40+ paddlers can break into the elite open class results. It can be surprising, but it’s the reality. Juniors are always a threat to the open elite, especially in technical racing.

For example, Benyam Bossack showed a breakthrough performance last year as a 16-year-old junior, reaching the podium alongside Donato Freens and Michael Booth in the tech race, and finishing a very strong 6th place in the long distance. Manuel Lauble and Joep van Bakel are also mixing up the top long-distance results as Master 40+ racers.

The Light Rider Benyam Bossack and Michael Booth | Photo by Andy Klotz

We have a huge start line in the pro long distance, with all age classes starting together at the same time. That’s a big motivation for everyone – to line up and paddle against the legends of the sport. I expect up to 200 men and 100 women, with separate starts in the long distance.

In technical racing, we have clear age categories, but juniors 16+ start with the open elite and, as mentioned, are a real threat. I expect Benyam, Giulio Lazzarini and Tatsuma Nishikawa to be in the finals. Masters usually choose to start in their own category, but they can opt to race in the open class for prize money if they want.

The Light Rider Elin van der Sar | Photo by Andy Klotz

With so many world champions and podium athletes in the masters categories, is it time to rethink how we define “elite” in SUP racing?

Master categories have huge participation and are very competitive. I think we can speak about “elite” within each category. I expect around 150+ masters men and women in the long distance. We already have 130 master entries more than a month ahead of the race.

So if you make it into the top 10 of your category, I guess we can definitely talk about “elite.”

Photo by Andy Klotz

Who are your top shout-outs heading into the event?

Next generation expected to crash into the elite top results: Benyam Bossack, Giulio Lazzarini and Tatsuma Nishikawa.

Among the World Champions & “elite” racers: Duna Gordillo, Kyriaki Logotheti, Lisa Ventrurelli, Shuri Araki, Sergio Cantoral, Aaron Sanchez, Donato Freens, Michael Booth, Normen Weber, Filipo Mercuriali and Andrey Kraytor.

Within the Masters 40+ / 50+ /60+ divisions: Manuel Lauble, Hermann Husslein, Peter Weidert, Roberto Mandoloni, Szabolzs Fodor, Gabor Szabo, Edith Turcotte, Tamas Buday, Arnd Dünziger and Bojan Bernard.

Gerd Weisner | Photo by Andy Klotz

Pff… looks like we need to buckle up – this is shaping up to be a battle of the titans in every division. We can’t wait to hit the ground and take it all in!

Photo by Andy Klotz

To find out more about LIGHTBOARDCORP® designs, visit lightboardcorp.com  and check out our full interview with Gerd Weisner

Follow Light Board Corp on Facebook and Instagram 

Follow Gerd Weisner on Instagram 

Check out the SUP Alps Trophy calendar here and REGISTER for the Lake Rocks Festival

*Registrations close on 12 May