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
3 Apr 2026
The 2026 SUP race season is officially on! In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into the first major Stand Up Paddleboard events of the year. Whether you lined up on the start or followed the action via the livestreams or TotalSUP’s Facebook and Instagram pages, we break down the key tactics, equipment choices, […]
27 Mar 2026
Welcome to the very first episode of the TotalSUP.Training Podcast! Let’s be honest right from the start: this is our debut episode, and we’re very much in trial-and-error mode. We’re figuring things out as we go — format, rhythm, tone — and we’re learning in public. We don’t even have an official name for […]
22 Mar 2026
Like every year, Spain will become the center of the international SUP race scene this April, as the World SUP Festival Costa Blanca returns from April 24 to 26, 2026, in Santa Pola, Alicante. Now in its sixth edition, the festival has established itself as one of the world’s largest SUP events, bringing together extensive […]
13 Mar 2026
Our sport needs people who make you want to show up – voices grounded in a deep understanding of the ocean, the disciplines of SUP and surf, and the delicate balance between its limitations and possibilities. In an era often dominated by noise and influencer culture, what truly stands out is authenticity: the raw perspective […]
28 Feb 2026
This could be a breakthrough year for Jacques Thomas. Stepping up from the kids division into juniors and recently named a GBSUP Junior Ambassador, the 14-year-old from the Channel Islands is entering a new chapter. He’s built a reputation for doing the hardest thing in sport: consistently showing up. In all conditions, on every start […]
25 Feb 2026
Miami is one of the most dynamic stand-up paddleboarding destinations in the United States, offering an unbeatable mix of tropical scenery, urban skyline views and year-round warm water. Biscayne Bay sits at the heart of the scene, with calm, protected waters that are perfect for beginners and ideal for sunrise and sunset paddles framed by […]
16 Feb 2026
Infinity SUP returns to Santa Cruz Paddlefest 2026 (27-29 March) as the official SUP surfing division sponsor, continuing their tradition of showing up strong both at the start line and in the break. The longest-running paddle surf competition on the planet, Santa Cruz Paddlefest has been setting the standard since 1985. Its iconic venue, Steamer […]
14 Feb 2026
One of Italy’s most versatile pro SUP & surf athletes, all-round waterman and Coach, Tommaso Pampinella, is now celebrating a decade of competitive racing. Signing with SIC Maui marks a full circle for the athlete, who has firmly stepped into the world of ocean endurance racing. With an impressive roster of ocean events under his […]
13 Feb 2026
Mariecarmen Rivera burst onto the scene with incredible power and hasn’t let go since. Her focus and explosiveness demand attention every time she steps on the start line. A triple gold performance (Sprint, Technical, and Distance) at the ICF World SUP Championships stunned the community, backed up immediately at the ISA World SUP Championships with Sprint […]
