World SUP Festival 2025 – “Shrimpy” Conquers as Espe Barreras and Mariecarmen Rivera Split Wins

Attracting over 200 paddlers in the seaside town of Santa Pola, with more than 28 nationalities represented from all 5 continents, €16,000 in prize money, top-tier athletic performance, and a steadfast focus on sustainability and inclusion, the latest edition of the World SUP Festival Costa Blanca stood out, as expected, as a major event on the global SUP race calendar. The races counted toward two of Europe’s most significant circuits: the long-established Euro Tour and the newly launched European SUP League (ESL) officially sanctioned by the European Surfing Federation, adding prestige and competitive depth to the weekend.

Saturday Showdown: A Challenging Long Distance and an Iconic course Around Tabarca Island

The action commenced on Saturday, May 17, with the long-distance competition. The iconic route saw a last-minute adjustment, delaying the start by one hour. Athletes paddled halfway around Tabarca Island and back to the original starting point before embarking on an 8-kilometer downwind sprint to Levante Beach in Santa Pola for a race totalling 14.5km. Challenging choppy conditions made for technical racing and elevated the level of competition.

The standout performance came from 19-year-old Japanese sensation and 5-time world champion Shuri Araki aka “Shrimpy” from Okinawa, who executed a flawless race leading from start to finish and claim his first World SUP Festival victory after four attempts. He was followed closely by 2021 Junior World Champion and Starboard Dream Team paddler Aarón Sánchez from Mallorca, Spain. Third place went to France’s 2018 APP World Tour Champion Arthur Arutkin, who overtook compatriot Ethan Bry in the final kilometer. Michael Booth, the 2018 event winner – and 2nd in 2022 – from Perth, Australia, made an impressive comeback in his first race since the 2024 ICF Worlds in Sarasota, Florida, securing a respectable 5th place finish.

The race also marked the return of Titouan Puyo, the French captain from New Caledonia and multiple ISA and ICF World Champion who finished in 9th place. An incredible performance was delivered by Donato Freens, one of this season’s most consistent podium contenders, who suffered a gear incident but still managed to finish 19th using a leisure adjustable paddle that was lent to him five minutes after the start, after he was left stranded in the water.

In the women’s race, Spain’s Esperanza Barreras, the 9-time world champion, claimed another triumph in Santa Pola after a fierce duel with Puerto Rico’s Mariecarmen Rivera. Rivera arrived on a hot streak, having won three of four ICF races in Crete and the second Euro Tour stop in Sancti Petri, Andalusia. The podium also featured two other Spanish world champions: Alba Frey, in 3rd, fresh from winning three out of four ESL races and recently crowned Spanish Sprint and Long Distance champion, and Duna Gordillo, continuing her consistent podium presence in international competition for the past 6 weeks. Rounding out the top five was Costa Rica’s Hawaiian-based waterwoman Jenny Kalmbach, participating in her first European race and taking the Master+40 title in the process.

Sunday Thrills: High-Intensity Technical Battles on Levante Beach

Sunday, May 18, was dedicated entirely to the European SUP League’s technical races, which offered intense action and a highly entertaining format for spectators on Levante Beach. The course featured a tight 750-meter lap with six buoy turns, culminating in a two-lap final of 1500 meters for the A-finals. In the open men’s final, Shuri Araki once again dominated the field, maintaining his winning streak. Aarón Sánchez mirrored his long-distance performance with another strong second-place finish. Rounding out the top five were NSP’s international athletes Christian Andersen from Denmark, Blue Ewer from England, and local young star Sergio Cantoral.

In the women’s technical showdown, the victory went to Infinity’s Mariecarmen Rivera, confirming her status as one of the most consistent paddlers of the moment determined to be in 1st place from the get go. Starboard’s Alba Frey came in second, followed by fellow NSP paddler Duna Gordillo. Esperanza Barreras finished in 4th, while the 15-year-old Italian prodigy Sveva Sabato, currently unsigned but riding an NSP board and training with SUP Academy Taranto, amazed the field with a 5th place finish.

Short but Spectacular: SUP Foil Sprint from Tabarca to Levante

Saturday afternoon also featured a Euro Tour SUP foil downwind race. The short course (7km) ran from Tabarca Island to a pair of buoys just off Levante Beach. Despite the light conditions, five foilers managed to generate enough lift to catch and ride the wake of a tourist boat, adding excitement to the race. Starboard rider and New Caledonian waterman Clément Colmas led the field, ahead of French Olympian and IQ Foil specialist Thomas Goyard. Sunova’s Catalan riders Mario Brasso and Xavi Masdevall placed 3rd and 4th respectively, while another French waterman, Boris Jinvresse, made a strong international return with a 5th place finish.

In the women’s foil category, Iballa Ruano Moreno, now dedicating much of her athletic focus to foiling, was the sole participant. Alba Frey opted out of the foil race to conserve energy for Sunday’s technical event.

Festival and Activities

The competition formed part of the broader Parres Water Sports Festival, which delivered three days of varied activities, blending elite-level SUP racing with a dynamic lineup of family-friendly and inclusive events. Attendees enjoyed free SUP lessons, inclusive paddling sessions, dragon boat races, youth workshops, dance shows, live music, and a bustling maritime market featuring local artisans and vendors.

Sustainability Efforts

A cornerstone of this edition was its sustainability program, aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over 46 environmental and social actions were implemented, such as using electric support boats, providing free water refill stations to cut down on plastic waste, and awarding medals and shirts crafted from recycled materials.

Organization and Support

The Festival was organized by the Parres Sports Club, under the leadership of athlete and coach Daniel Parres. Institutional backing came from the Alicante Provincial Council, the Valencian Regional Government, the City Councils of Santa Pola and Alicante, Alicante City & Beach, the Spanish Surfing Federation (FESURF), the European Surfing Federation (ESF), as well as EuroTour and the European SUP League.

Main Partners and Sponsors

The event’s main sponsors included Convotis, Bloomreach, Energy Sistem, NSP Surf, Alavés Innovation, Mercalicante, and Juve & Camps, among other contributing partners.

LIVE STREAM REPLAY 

Long Distance 

Technical Race Finals

Long Distance results

Results – Technical Race A & B Finals