The finale of the 2022 APP SUP Racing World Tour saw April Zilg and Connor Baxter claim the World Titles while Shuri ‘Shrimpy’ Araki and Mélanie Lafenêtre got their first win on an APP World Tour event to close a sensational season! Recap, Results, overall World Rankings, highlights and full LIVE FEED presented by Travis Grant and Mathieu Astier below!
On Day 1 of the Alicante SUP Open, Connor Baxter won the sprints securing him the overall 2022 Sprint Title, and in a turn-up for the books, APP World Tour debutant Alba Alonso Frey from Fuerteventura took everyone by surprise on her only 3rd international race and won the sprint competition in a stacked women’s final. The Alicante SUP Open sprints saw huge upsets, stacked heats and a thrilling tournament between the best sprinters in the world. On the women’s side, 2022 World Champion April Zilg was knocked out in the semi-finals by Italy’s junior wonder girl Cecilia Pampinella. In the finals, we saw a fierce battle between Mélanie Lafenêtre and Alba Alonso Frey, but it was Frey who was victorious in what was an impressive debut on the APP World Tour. Juliette Duhaime, the most consistent athlete in this year’s tour finished in 4th place.
We had to ask: “Who are you Alba Alonso Frey??”
On the men’s side every heat felt like a final as the world’s best assembled on Playa del Postiguet for the season finale. After a thrillingly competitive run of heats, four familiar faces made it to the final: 2018 App World Champion Arthur Arutkin, Peruvian Prince, Infinity Speed Freak and 2nd in the APP rankings Itzel Delgado, 16 year old and 2 x ISA gold winner Shuri Araki and 3 x APP World Tour winner Connor Baxter. It was the ultimate battle, championed by the ultimate sprinter as Connor Baxter clinched the Alicante SUP Open sprint title, as well as the Overall Sprint Title for 2022.
Outside of the professional division, we saw hundreds of junior and open racers partake in the sprints in what is one of the most vibrant SUP communities we have seen on Tour.
On Sunday, the 42 APP World Tour competitors embarked upon an 11km technical long distance race at Playa Del Postiguet. Connor needed to get in the top 11 to secure the World Title and in a stacked field of the world’s best paddlers, the stakes were high. In the end, It was 16-year-old Shuri Araki who claimed his first, and long overdue win on Tour and France’s Mélanie Lafenêtre who took the women’s title in what was a tight battle until the very end with both Juliette DuHaime and Alba Alonso Frey.
Baxter managed to finish exactly where he needed to, 11th place, to secure his 4th APP World Tour Title. April Zilg had already secured the World Title coming into the weekend after an impressively dominant season that made Alicante somewhat of a victory lap here in Alicante.
It was a day to remember on the water at Playa del Postiguet: with both World and Event Champions crowned and spectacular performances across the board, from Pros right through to the U10s, it all amounted to a thrilling close to the season here in Alicante.With the 2023 Alicante SUP Open already set as next year’s tour opening event in April, make sure to join in Alicante when we do it all over again.
Overall Men’s
1. Connor Baxter – Hawaii/USA – Starboard
2. Shuri Araki – Japan – NSP
3. Itzel Delgado – Infinity
Overall Women’s
1. April Zilg – USA – 404
2. Juliette Duhaime – Argentina – Infinity
3. Choi Ji Won – South Korea – Starboard
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