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 the podcast yet, so if you’ve got ideas, send them our way! This is something we want to build with the community.
Your hosts for this adventure are Mathieu Astier (Founder of TotalSUP… me) and Christian Taucher (the mastermind behind sup.training). Between the two of us, we bring years of experience in racing, coaching, media, and the inner workings of the sport.
So why are we doing this?
At TotalSUP, most of our content has always been designed to support and promote the sport — which often means staying positive and highlighting the good. But behind the scenes, both Christian and I have a lot more to share: insights, untold stories, and sometimes more opinionated takes that don’t always make it into our written content. This podcast is where we open that door — with more honesty, deeper analysis, and real conversations about what’s happening in the SUP world.
For this first episode, the plan was simple: give you a 20-minute overview of the major international events for the 2026 season. That didn’t quite happen. Instead, one topic quickly took over — the now fully launched European SUP League, which is clearly shaping up to be one of the hottest topics of 2026. So naturally, the episode title evolved into: “What is the European SUP League?”
We already know what’s coming next. Since we ran out of time, the second episode will focus on the 2026 ICF calendar — and we will also use it to debrief this weekend’s Spring SUP Race, stop #1 of the ICF circuit, and, if we can fit it in, a look at other interesting international circuits.
It was a defining season for the European SUP League (ESL), which completed its second consecutive year as the official stand-up paddle circuit sanctioned by the European Surfing Federation. Committed to increasing the visibility of the circuit and creating opportunities for athletes at all levels, the European SUP League has also played an important role […]
The European SUP League concluded its 2026 season in Sesimbra, Portugal, for the second year in a row, with a spectacular final event that decided the circuit titles. After six stops across five European countries, the Giant from the Netherlands, Donato Freens, sponsored by Infinity and Black Project, conquered the 2026 European SUP League title, […]
The European SUP League brought three days of racing, beachside action and international Stand Up Paddle to Playa Central in Isla Cristina from 4 to 6 September, with nearly 150 athletes taking part in the fifth stop of the 2026 season. With four world champions among the field, the Isla Cristina SUP Race delivered a […]
In just a couple of days, the highly anticipated Portuguese stop takes centre stage, with the European SUP League (ESL) Grand Finale heading to Sesimbra from 11-13 September. Held as part of the Sesimbra SUP Festival and hosted by Surf Clube de Sesimbra, the final weekend promises a high-stakes conclusion to the ESL season, with […]
The European SUP League (ESL) now enters its decisive final stretch, with the next stage taking place in Isla Cristina on 4-6 September, followed just one week later by the Grand Finale in Sesimbra, Portugal, on 11-13 September. Hosted by Surf Clube de Sesimbra as part of the Sesimbra SUP Festival, the final stage will […]
Isla Cristina, host of the next stop of the European SUP League on 5-6 September, offers something beyond the spectacle of an international race. There is a particular weight to generational watersport stories rooted in home waters – families who grow up on the same coastline, sharing sessions, competitions and a deep connection to the […]
For Isla Cristina, hosting the next stop of the European SUP League on 5-6 September is about more than simply staging an international race. It is an opportunity to showcase a town where the sea is deeply woven into its identity – and to introduce a new generation of paddlers to the next level of […]
The fourth stop of the 2026 European SUP League brought the tour to southern Poland for the ODRA SUP CUP, although this year’s edition did not take place on the Odra River in Racibórz as its name suggests. Instead, competition was held on a picturesque lake in Rybnik, around 30 minutes from the organising club […]
When Starboard announced Shuri Araki as the newest member of its Dream Team at the beginning of the year, the SUP world took notice. At just 20 years old, the Okinawan has already amassed eight senior World Championship titles – six ISA and two ICF – and remarkably, he has never raced in the junior division. […]