Paolo Marconi, the new RRD SUP race recruit – When hard work pays off

Paolo Marconi has performed over the past six months one of the fastest progressions in SUP racing to the point that a couple of weeks ago he won his first Euro Tour competition and beat Leonard Nika for the first time in years. The italian rider is definitely on the way up and under his new sponsor, RRD – Roberto Ricci Designs, is showing to the world that hard work is paying off. Interview…

Congratulations Paolo on your recent 1st place at the Adriatic Crown, your first Euro Tour win. Can you give us your inside view on the whole event?

Paolo Marconi: I feel great about the 1st place at the Adriatic Crown! I wanted to do really well but i didn’t expect to win it. On Day 1 I felt really fast with my new RRD board and I tried to stay in front of the group. I managed to be first at the end of the upwind and started to push really hard in downwind to keep the lead. Day 2 was a bit harder because the conditions were tough and I didn’t know the new board in those conditions,however i finished 2nd behind Jake Jensen and managed to win the event. 

This is the first time in a long time that you beat Leonard Nika who has been reigning in Italy for the past 2/3 years. What are your impressions about that? 

Paolo Marconi: Leo (Leonard Nika) is a really fast rider and it was my goal to beat him this season. It is really good to fight with him at every race because we push each other to do better every time!

Can you detail the type of trainings you have been doing this year?

Paolo Marconi: I can not tell you all my secret trainings ahah! I have been training really hard this winter in the gym and on the water. I have also been running and cycling a lot. I follow nutrition plans and I dedicate most of my days to sup with passion and dedication. Everything must be perfect to be competitive out there. A big thanks goes to Jacopo Querci and FITLAB EXTREMEFIT for pushing my limits.

You recently left Jimmy Lewis to enter the RRD team? Can you please give us more details about your experience with Jimmy Lewis and what is going to change with RRD?

Paolo Marconi: I had a great time and found great friends in the Jimmy Lewis team. I will always be thankful to them. I had to change something this season to try to improve my results. RRD is a big Italian company and I am very proud and thankful to be part of the team! The RRD guys believed in me and let me join the team during the season. Their boards are really fast and i will give 1000% to have great results.

Can you give some details on your new RRD board?

Paolo Marconi: The 12’62 that i am using is called the “razzle dazzle”. On flat water is incredibly fast beacuse of it’s nose. In open ocean you have to be gentle with it and you can reach incredible pace especially in upwind
the thing i like about it is that i can paddle really fast with less effort than other boards

It looks like the Italian team is really getting stronger this year with lots of new riders who have followed Leonard Nika competing outside of Italy including his brother Claudio, Davide Ionico, Davide Codotto, Giordano Bruno Capparella and yourself. Do you know why that is? Are you guys friends? Do you train together? 

Paolo Marconi: The italian team is doing really good and I think we could fight for the podium at the world championship next year. The level is increasing every season and we all push hard to win in Italy, so every weekend we take part to really challenging races and this helps us to improve. In the water we fight like gladiators but out of the water we are really good friends! Me and Davide Codotto spend part of the off season together in Lanzarote surfing and having fun. Look out for team ITALIA next year at the ISA!

What’s your goal at the Stand Up World Series / Surf Expo event at the end of July? 

Paolo Marconi: my goal is to do a great result in Rome! Iwant to be in the really top positions and I am working hard to prepare that race, especially to improve my sprint racing skills!

And finally, where exactly in Italy are you from, where do you live and train? 

Paolo Marconi: I am from Piombino,Tuscany. I live and train here with my girlfriend Susak (Editor’s note: Susak Molinero, is an international racer from Barcelona, Spain). My place is always windy, we always have tough conditions so I love open ocean races. I love the place where I live. Even if i spend a lot of time traveling I am always happy when i come back home.