Euro Tour Glory in Barcelona for Mariecarmen Rivera and Shuri Araki

Barcelona once again delivered a world-class setting for stand-up paddle racing with the second annual edition of the BCN SUP World Fest, marking stop #4 of the 2025 Euro Tour. Taking place just a week after the previous stop in Santa Pola, Alicante, and serving as the third Spanish event on this year’s Euro Tour calendar, the race brought elite-level competition right into the heart of Catalonia’s capital city. Full results below. Photos: Euro Tour & TotalSUP

Euro Tour Long Distance: Shrimpy Dominates, Mariecarmen Surges, and the Battle of Nations Unfolds in Barcelona

Set at Playa Somorrostro, at the foot of the iconic Torre Mapfre and with panoramic views that included Montjuic, the Barceloneta neighborhood, the cable car, Torre Agbar, and the Sagrada Familia, the event offered both athletes and spectators an unforgettable backdrop. The main event of the weekend was Saturday’s 12km Long Distance Race, rated 6 stars by the Euro Tour, boasting a strong field of 90 pro athletes and a €12,000 prize purse, the largest so far this season.

Despite a few absentees like Donato Freens and Christian Andersen in the men’s division and the junior women Csillag Kokcis, Bianca Toncelli, Laura Paricio, and Alexia Soto, the race drew once again a very competitive field, making it a defining showdown of the early season. With a total of 160 participants across all formats including fun and tech races, the BCN SUP World Fest firmly established itself as a top-tier event on the European SUP calendar.

The course consisted of two 6km laps stretching from Playa Somorrostro to the emblematic W Hotel, known for its sail-like silhouette. Conditions became increasingly challenging as wind and chop picked up, testing the balance and tactics of the elite racers.

In the men’s race, Japan’s Shuri Araki, better known as Shrimpy, once again proved untouchable. The 19-year-old sensation from Okinawa, paddling on the same custom board designed with his father that he has been using for the last 3 events, made an early break and never looked back. Behind him, a dynamic group of twelve chasers battled in his wake, including experienced heavyweights Titouan Puyo, Michael Booth, and Arthur Arutkin, as well as top young guns like Clément Colmas, Fernando Perez, Antonio Morillo, Tasos Tsouris, Blue Ewer, and rising local talent Lluis Perotti from Mallorca.

The sea state led to several falls within the chase pack, but Antonio Morillo managed to close a 100-meter gap down to 50 meters to finish 2nd, closely followed by Arthur Arutkin in 3rd. Aaron Sanchez, runner-up in Santa Pola, held onto 4th place. Perhaps the most symbolic performance came from Titouan Puyo, the semi-retired French team captain, who fought his way to 5th and demonstrated the enduring prowess of the French paddling scene. Like Michael Booth last weekend, Puyo’s return to the front ranks was a crowd favorite. Overall, the podium highlighted the current global pecking order in SUP racing: Japan leading the charge, with Spain and France hot on its heels.

The women’s race was equally dramatic. Infinity Speed Freak Mariecarmen Rivera of Puerto Rico took a flying start, soon joined by the powerhouse trio of Spanish world champions: Duna Gordillo, Alba Frey, and Esperanza Barreras. However, just 200 meters into the race, disaster struck for Espe, as a heavy fall led to her leash wrapping around her fin, forcing her to stop for nearly 2 minutes before she could start paddling again. This left Mariecarmen in clear air at the front, and for a moment, it looked like she might dominate the way Shuri had.

But Duna and Alba dug deep and gradually reeled her in. The three remained tight until the last buoy, with Mariecarmen and Duna battling side by side. In the final 50 meters, Mariecarmen found one last gear, caught a decisive little bump, and surged ahead to claim her second Euro Tour victory of the season (having placed 2nd in her other Euro Tour appearances).

Despite her early mishap, Espe Barreras launched an awe-inspiring comeback, passing every other competitor including legends like Jenny Kalmbach, world champions Mélanie Lafenêtre and Tarryn King, and next-gen talents like Claudia Postiglione and Sveva Sabato. Her incredible effort brought her all the way to 4th place, though just missing the podium may prove decisive in her hunt for a third consecutive Euro Tour title. Anais Guyomarch rounded out the top five with a solid performance as the fastest of the French contingent.

Sveva Sabato’s Breakthrough and Ethan Bry’s Power Play Highlight the Sunday Showdown

Sunday’s Tech Race brought a different kind of challenge and energy to the BCN SUP World Fest, wrapping up the weekend with four hours of intense racing from quarterfinals all the way to the finals. While many of the sport’s biggest names had competed exclusively in Saturday’s Euro Tour Long Distance event, a handful of top international paddlers stuck around to take on the short, technical format – with a fast and tricky 1.3km M-shaped course, featuring three buoy turns and four long stretches of water, evenly split between headwind and downwind legs.

With limited prize money and ranking points on offer, Sunday was more about pride, experience, and the quest for the coveted combo title (best overall across both days) than anything else. Still, the racing was fiercely contested and showcased new and rising talent alongside seasoned veterans.

In the women’s final, all eyes were on Sveva Sabato, the 15-year-old prodigy from Taranto, Italy, who stunned the field by taking an early lead and holding her nerve under pressure. The first buoy turn was a scene of chaos, with multiple falls disrupting the pack. Sveva and Jenny Kalmbach, the Hawaii-based 42-year-old waterwoman from Costa Rica, used the opportunity to break away cleanly. Navigating the chop with confidence and precision, Sveva never looked back.

Hot on their heels was French athlete Iona Rivet, who skillfully slipped through the carnage at buoy one to secure third place, her best international result of the season which only started last week in Santa Pola. The chasing pack included past champions and household names like Tarryn King (2018 Sprint World Champion) and Susak Molinero, but none could bridge the gap. The finish was a historic one: Sveva Sabato claimed her first-ever international win in an Open Women’s final, following up on her breakthrough podium last week in Santa Pola where she finished 5th in the Tech Race and earned her first prize money. A symbolic result for both the future of the sport and Team NSP, as all three podium finishers—Sveva, Jenny, and Iona—ride for the brand.

In the men’s final, it was Ethan Bry of the SIC Maui Global Team who emerged dominant. Known for his explosive speed and race IQ, the Frenchman controlled the race from early on. By the final 100 meters, it looked set for a thrilling showdown between Bry and fellow Frenchman Arthur Arutkin on his Infinity SUP EverReady board, both with a clear gap ahead of 19-year-old rising Spanish star Sergio Cantoral. However, Arthur, feeling a strain in his shoulder, opted not to risk further injury and eased off, leaving Ethan to power through solo for a well-earned victory.

Full results of the Eurotour BCN SUP World Fest 2025